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FOR    LOVE    OF    COUNTRY 


For  Love  of  Country 

A  Story  of  Land  and  Sea  in  the  Days  of 
the  ^.evolution 


BY 

CYRUS   TOWNSEND    BRADY 

ARCHDEACON  OF  PENNSYLVANIA 


NEW   YORK 
CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S   SONS 

1898 


Copyright,  1898, 
By  Charles  Scribner's  Sons. 


All  rights  reserved. 


®[n{bersitgi3vE5S8: 
John  Wilson  and  Son,  Cambridge,  U.S.A. 


P5 
d  B72.F7 


Soctetg  0f  tije  Sons  of  tfje  IScfeolutton, 

^w*/  />^(?i'(?  kindred  organizations  whose  chief  function  is  to 

cultivate  a  spirit  of  patriotism  and  love  of  country 

in  the  present  by  recalling  the  struggles  and 

sacrifices  of  the  past. 


694954 


PREFACE 

SINCE  the  action  of  this  story  falls  during  the 
periods,  and  the  book  deals  with  personages 
and  incidents,  which  are  usually  treated  of  in  the 
more  serious  pages  of  history,  it  is  proper  that  some 
brief  word  of  explanation  should  be  written  by  which 
I  might  confirm  some  of  the  romantic  happenings 
hereafter  related,  which  to  the  casual  reader  may 
appear  to  draw  too  heavily  upon  his  credulity  for 
acceptance. 

The  action  between  the  Randolph  and  the  Yar- 
mouth really  happened,  the  smaller  ship  did  engage 
the  greater  for  the  indicated  purpose,  much  as  I  have 
told  it ;  and  if  I  have  ventured  to  substitute  another 
name  for  that  of  the  gallant  sailor  and  daring  hero, 
Captain  Nicholas  Biddle,  who  commanded  the  little 
Randolph,  and  lost  his  life,  on  that  occasion,  I  trust 
this  paragraph  may  be  considered  as  making  ample 
amends.  The  remarkable  fight  between  those  two 
ships  is  worthy  of  more  extended  notice  than  has 
hitherto   been  given  it,   in  any  but   the   larger  his- 

vii 


PREFACE 

tories  (and  not  even  in  some  of  those)  of  the  time. 
As  far  as  my  information  permits  me  to  say,  there 
never  was  a  more  heroic  battle  on  the  seas. 

Again,  it  is  evident  to  students  of  history  that  the 
character  of  Washington  has  not  been  properly  un- 
derstood hitherto,  by  the  very  people  who  revere  his 
name,  though  the  excellent  books  of  Messrs.  Ford, 
Wilson,  Lodge,  Fiske,  and  others  are  doing  much  to 
destroy  the  popular  canonization  which  made  of  the 
man  a  saint;  in  defence  of  my  characterization  of 
him  I  am  able  to  say  that  the  incidents  and  anec- 
dotes and  most  of  the  conversations  in  which  he 
appears  are  absolutely  historical. 

If  I  have  dwelt  too  long  and  too  circumstantially 
upon  the  Trenton  and  Princeton  campaigns  for  a 
book  so  light  in  character  as  is  this  one,  it  may  be 
set  down  to  an  ardent  admiration  for  Washington  as 
man  and  soldier,  and  a  design  again  to  exhibit  him  as 
he  was  at  one  of  the  most  critical  and  brilliant  points 
of  his  career.  Furthermore,  I  find  that  the  school  and 
other  histories  commonly  accessible  to  ordinary  peo- 
ple are  not  sufficiently  awake  to  the  importance  and 
brilliancy  of  the  campaign,  and  I  cherish  the  hope 
that  this  book  may  serve,  in  some  measure,  to  estab- 
lish its  value. 

I  have  freely  used  all  the  histories  and  narratives 
to  which  I  had  access,  without  hesitation ;   and  if  I 


PREFACE 

have  anticipated  a  distinguished  arrival,  or  hastened 
the  departure  of  a  ship,  or  altered  the  date  of  a  naval 
battle,  or  changed  its  scene,  I  plead  the  example 
of  the  distinguished  masters  of  fiction,  to  warrant 
me. 

In  closing  I  cannot  refrain  from  thanking  those 
who  have  so  kindly  assisted  me  with  advice  and 
correction  during  the  writing  of  this  story  and  the 
reading  of  the  proof,  especially  the  Rev.  A.  J.  P. 
McClure. 

C.  T.  B. 

Philadelphia,  Penna., 
November,  1897. 


IX 


Contents 


llBoofe  I 

THE   EVENTS   OF  A   NIGHT 

Chapter  Page 

I     Katharine  Yields  her  Independence    .    .  3 

II    The  Country  First  of  All 13 

III  Colonel  Wilton 19 

IV  Lord    Dunmore's    Men    Pay    an    Evening 

Call 31 

V    A  Timely  Interference 39 

VI     A  Faithful  Subject  of  his  Majesty      .     .  45 

VII     The  Loyal  Talbots 53 

VIII    An  Untold  Story 59 

IX     Bentley's  Prayer 68 

X    A  Soldier's  Epitaph 74 


llBoofe  II 

KNIGHTS   ERRANT   OF   THE   SEA 

XI  Captain  John  Paul  Jones 81 

XII  An  Important  Commission 88 

XIII  A  Clever  Stratagem 97 

XIV  A  Surprise  for  the  Juno 104 

xi 


CONTENTS 

Chapter  Pagr 

XV    Chased  by  a  Frigate 121 

XVI    'TwixT  Love  and  Duty 129 

XVII    An  Incidental  Passage  at  Arms    .     .     .  134 

XVIII    Duty  Wins  the  Game 139 

31500b  III 

THE  LION   AT   BAY 

XIX    The  Port  of  Philadelphia 149 

XX    A  Winter  Camp 157 

XXI    The  Boatswain  Tells  the  Story  .    .     .  165 
XXII    Washington  —  a   Man  with  Human  Pas- 
sions    174 

XXIII  Lieutenant  Martin's  Lesson 179 

XXIV  Crossing  the  Delaware 185 

XXV    Trenton — The  Lion  Strikes 194 

XXVI    My  Lord  Cornwallis 205 

XXVII    The  Lion  Turns  Fox 216 

XXVIII    The  British  Play  "Taps" 229 

XXIX    The  Last  of  the  Talbots 238 

31Book  IV 

A   DEATH   GRAPPLE   ON   THE   DEEP 


XXX    A  Sailor's  Opinion  of  the  Land    . 

XXXI    Seymour's  Desperate  Resolution  . 

XXXII    The  Prisoners  on  the  Yarmouth  . 

XXXIII  Two  Proposals 

XXXIV  Captain  Vincent  Mystified    .    .    . 

xii 


247 
257 
264 
271 
280 


CONTENTS 

Chapter  Pagb 

XXXV    Bentley  Says  Good-by 286 

XXXVI    The  Last  of  the  Randolph 291 

XXXVII    For  Love  of  Country 302 

XXXVIII    Philip  Disobeys  Orders 308 

XXXIX    Three  Pictures  of  the  Sea 315 

315oob  V 

THE.  DEAD   ALIVE   AGAIN 

XL    A  Final  Appeal 331 

XLI     Into  the  Haven  at  Last 341 


Xlll 


05OO6   I 

THE   EVENTS   OF   A   NIGHT 


For   Love   of  Country 

CHAPTER   I 

Katharine   Yields  her  Independence 

IF  Seymour  could  have  voiced  his  thought,  he 
would  have  said  that  the  earth  itself  did  not 
afford  a  fairer  picture  than  that  which  lay  within  the 
level  radius  of  his  vision,  and  which  had  imprinted 
itself  so  powerfully  upon  his  impressionable  and  youth- 
ful heart.  It  was  not  the  scenery  of  Virginia  either, 
the  landscape  on  the  Potomac,  of  which  he  would 
have  spoken  so  enthusiastically,  though  even  that  were 
a  thing  not  to  be  disdained  by  such  a  lover  of  the  beau- 
tiful as  Seymour  had  shown  himself  to  be,  —  the  dry 
brown  hills  rising  in  swelling  slopes  from  the  edge  of 
the  wide  quiet  river ;  the  bare  and  leafless  trees  upon 
their  crests,  now  scarce  veiling  the  comfortable  old 
white  house,  which  in  the  summer  they  quite  concealed 
beneath  their  masses  of  foliage ;  and  all  the  world  lying 
dreamy  and  calm  and  still,  in  the  motionless  haze  of 
one  of  those  rare  seasons  in  November  which  so  sug- 
gests departed  days  that  men  name  it  summer  again. 
For  all  that  he  then  saw  in  nature  was  but  a  setting  for 
a  woman  ;  even  the  sun  itself,  low  in  the  west,  robbed 
of  its  glory,  and  faded  into  a  dull  red  ball  seeking  to 
hide  its  head,  but  served  to  throw  into  high  relief 

3 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

the  noble  and  beautiful  face  of  the  girl  upon  whom 
he  gazed,  —  the  girl  who  was  sun  and  life  and  light 
and  world  for  him. 

The  most  confirmed  misogynist  would  have  found 
it  difficult  to  challenge  her  claim  to  beauty ;  and  yet 
it  would  require  a  more  severe  critic  or  a  sterner 
analyst  than  a  lover  would  be  likely  to  prove,  to  say 
in  just  what  point  could  be  found  that  which  would 
justify  the  claim.  Was  it  in  the  mass  of  light  wavy 
brown  hair,  springing  from  a  low  point  on  her  fore- 
head and  gently  rippling  back,  which  she  wore  plaited 
and  tied  with  a  ribbon  and  destitute  of  powder? 
How  sweetly  simple  it  looked  to  him  after  the  be- 
powdered  and  betowered  misses  of  the  town  with 
whom  he  was  most  acquainted  !  Was  it  in  the  broad 
low  brow,  or  the  brown,  almost  black  eyes  which 
laughed  beneath  it;  or  the  very  fair  complexion, 
which  seemed  to  him  a  strangely  delightful  and  un- 
usual combination?  Or  was  it  in  the  perfection  of  a 
faultless,  if  somewhat  slender  and  still  undeveloped 
figure,  half  concealed  by  the  vivid  "  Cardinal  "  cloak 
she  wore,  which  one  little  hand  held  loosely  together 
about  her,  while  the  other  dabbled  in  the  water  by 
her  side? 

Be  this  as  it  may,  the  whole  impression  she  pro- 
duced was  one  which  charmed  and  fascinated  to  the 
last  degree,  and  Mistress  Katharine  Wilton's  sway 
among  the  young  men  of  the  colony  was  well-nigh 
undisputed.  A  toast  and  a  belle  in  half  Virginia, 
Seymour  was  not  the  first,  nor  was  he  destined  to 
be  the  last,  of  her  adorers. 

The  strong,  steady,  practised  stroke,  denoting  the 
accomplished  oarsman,  with  which  he  had  urged  the 

4 


KATHARINE   YIELDS 

little  boat  through  the  water,  had  given  way  to  an 
idle  and  purposeless  drift.  He  longed  to  cast  himself 
down  before  the  little  feet,  in  their  smart  high-heekd 
buckled  shoes  and  clocked  stockings,  which  peeped 
out  at  him  from  under  her  embroidered  camlet  petticoat 
in  such  a  maliciously  coquettish  manner;  he  longed 
to  kneel  down  there  in  the  skiff,  at  the  imminent  risk 
of  spoiling  his  own  gay  attire,  and  declare  the  passion 
which  consumed  him ;  but  something  —  he  did  not 
know  what  it  was,  and  she  did  not  tell  him  —  con- 
strained him,  and  he  sat  still,  and  felt  himself  as  far 
away  as  if  she  had  been  in  the  stars. 

In  his  way  he  was  quite  as  good  to  look  at  as 
the  young  maiden ;  tall,  blond,  stalwart,  blue-eyed, 
pleasant-featured,  with  the  frank  engaging  air  which 
seems  to  belong  to  those  who  go  down  to  the  sea 
in  ships.  Lieutenant  John  Seymour  Seymour  was 
an  excellent  specimen  of  that  hardy,  daring,  gal- 
lant class  of  men  who  in  this  war  and  in  the  next 
were  to  shed  such  imperishable  lustre  upon  American 
arms  by  their  exploits  in  the  naval  service.  Born 
of  an  old  and  distinguished  Philadelphia  family,  so 
proud  of  its  name  that  in  his  instance  they  had 
doubled  it,  the  usual  bluntness  and  roughness  of  the 
sea  were  tempered  by  this  gentle  birth  and  breed- 
ing, and  by  frequent  attrition  with  men  and  women 
of  the  politest  society  of  the  largest  and  most  impor- 
tant city  of  the  colonies.  Offering  his  services  as 
soon  as  the  news  of  Lexington  precipitated  the  con- 
flict with  the  mother  country,  he  had  already  made 
his  name  known  among  that  gallant  band  of  seamen 
among  whom  Jones,  Biddle,  Dale,  and  Conyngham 
were  pre-eminent. 

5 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

The  delicious  silence  which  he  had  been  unwilling 
to  break,  since  it  permitted  him  to  gaze  undisturbed 
upon  his  fair  shipmate,  was  terminated  at  last  by  that 
lady  herself. 

She  looked  up  from  the  water  with  which  she  had 
been  playing,  and  then  appearing  to  notice  for  the 
first  time  his  steady  ardent  gaze,  she  laughed  lightly 
and  said, — 

"  Well,  sir,  it  grows  late.  When  you  have  finished 
contemplating  the  scenery,  perhaps  you  will  turn  the 
boat,  and  take  me  home ;  then  you  can  feast  your 
eyes  upon  something  more  attractive." 

"  And  what  is  that,  pray?  "  he  asked. 

"  Your  supper,  sir.  You  must  be  very  anxious  for 
it  by  this  time,  and  really  you  know  you  look  quite 
hungry.  We  have  been  out  so  long ;  but  I  will  have 
pity  on  you,  and  detain  you  no  longer  here.  Turn 
the  boat  around,  Lieutenant  Seymour,  and  put  me 
on  shore  at  once.  I  will  stand  between  no  man  and 
his  dinner." 

"Hungry?  Yes,  I  am,  but  not  for  dinner,  —  for 
you,  Mistress  Katharine,"  he  replied. 

"  Oh,  what  a  horrid  appetite  !  I  don't  feel  safe  in 
the  boat  with  you.     Are  you  very  hungry?  " 

"  Really,  Miss  Wilton,  I  am  not  jesting  at  all,"  he 
said  with  immense  dignity. 

"Oh!  oh!  He  is  in  earnest.  Shall  I  scream? 
No  use ;   we  are  a  mile  from  the  house,  at  least." 

"  Oh,  Miss  Wilton  —  Katharine,"  he  replied  des- 
perately, "  I  am  devoured  by  my  —  " 

"  Lieutenant  Seymour !  "  She  drew  herself  up  with 
great  iiauteur,  letting  the  cloak  drop  about  her  waisL 

"  Madam !  " 

6 


KATHARINE   YIELDS 

"  Only  my  friends  call  me  Katharine." 

"  And  am  I  not,  may  I  not  be,  one  of  your  friends?  " 

"  Well,  yes —  I  suppose  so ;  but  you  are  so  young." 

"  I  am  just  twenty-seven,  madam,  and  you,  I  sup- 
pose, are  —  " 

"  Never  be  ungallant  enough  to  suppose  a  young 
lady's  age.  You  may  do  those  things  in  Philadelphia, 
if  you  like,  but  't  is  not  the  custom  here.  Besides,  I 
mean  too  young  a  friend;  you  have  not  known  me 
long  enough,  that  is." 

"  Long  enough !  I  have  known  you  ever  since 
Tuesday  of  last  week." 

"And  this  is  Friday, — just  ten  days,  ten  long 
days !  "  she  replied  triumphantly. 

"  Long  days !  "  he  cried.  "  Very  short  ones,  for 
me." 

"  Long  or  short,  sir,  do  you  think  you  can  know 
me  in  that  period?  Is  it  possible  I  am  so  easily 
fathomed?  "  she  went  on,  smiling. 

Now  it  is  ill  making  love  in  a  rowboat  at  best, 
and  when  one  is  in  earnest  and  the  other  jests  it  is 
well-nigh  impossible ;  so  to  these  remarks  Lieutenant 
Seymour  made  no  further  answer,  save  viciously  to 
ply  the  oars  and  drive  the  boat  rapidly  toward  the 
landing. 

Miss  Katharine  gazed  vacantly  about  the  familiar 
river  upon  whose  banks  she  had  been  born  and  bred, 
and,  finally  noticing  the  sun  had  gone  down,  closing 
the  short  day,  she  once  more  drew  her  cloak  closely 
about  her  and  resumed  the  neglected  conversation. 

"  Won't  you  please  stop  looking  at  me  in  that 
manner,  and  won't  you  please  row  harder,  or  is  your 
strength  all  centred  in  your  gaze?  " 

7 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  I  am  rowing  as  fast  as  I  can,  Miss  Wilton,  es- 
pecially with  this  —  " 

"  Oh,  I  forgot  your  wounded  shoulder !  Does  it 
hurt?  Does  it  pain  you?  I  am  so  sorry.  Let  me 
row." 

"  Thank  you,  no.  I  think  I  can  manage  it  myself. 
The  only  pain  I  have  is  when  you  are  unkind  to 
me. 

At  that  moment,  to  his  great  annoyance,  his  oar 
stuck  fast  in  the  oar-lock,  and  he  straightway  did 
that  very  unsailorly  thing  known  as  catching  a 
crab. 

Katharine  Wilton  laughed.  There  was  music  in 
her  voice,  but  this  time  it  did  not  awaken  a  respon- 
sive chord  in  the  young  man.  Extricating  his  oar 
violently,  he  silently  resumed  his  work. 

"Do  you  like  crabs,  Mr.  Seymour?"  she  said 
with  apparent  irrelevance. 

"  I  don't  like  catching  them.  Miss  Wilton,"  he 
admitted  ruefully. 

"  Oh,  I  mean  eating  them !  We  were  talking 
about  your  appetite,  were  we  not?  Well,  Dinah 
devils  them  deliciously.  I  '11  have  some  done  for 
you,"  she  continued  with  suspicious  innocence. 

Seymour  groaned  in  spirit  at  her  perversity,  and 
for  the  first  time  in  his  life  felt  an  intense  sympathy 
with  devilled  crabs ;  but  he  continued  his  labor  in 
silence  and  with  great  dignity. 

"  What  am  I  to  infer  from  your  silence  on  this 
important  subject,  sir?  The  subject  of  edibles,  which 
everybody  says  is  of  the  first  importance  —  to  men  — 
does  not  appear  to  interest  you  at  all  1  " 

He  made  no  further  reply. 
8 


KATHARINE  YIELDS 

The  young  girl  gazed  at  his  pale  face  at  first  in 
much  amusement;  but  the  laughter  gradually  died 
away,  and  finally  her  glance  fell  to  the  water  by  her 
side.  A  few  strong  strokes,  strong  enough,  in  spite 
of  a  wounded  shoulder,  to  indicate  wrathful  purpose 
and  sudden  determination  to  the  astute  maiden,  and 
the  little  boat  swung  in  beside  the  wharf  Throw- 
ing the  oars  inboard  with  easy  skill,  Seymour  sat 
motionless  while  the  boat  glided  swiftly  down  toward 
the  landing-steps,  and  the  silence  was  broken  only  by 
the  soft,  delicious  lip,  lip,  lip  of  the  water,  which  seemed 
to  cling  to  and  caress  the  bow  of  the  skiff  until  it 
finally  came  to  rest.  The  man  waited  until  the  girl 
looked  up  at  him.  She  saw  in  his  resolute  mien  the 
outward  and  visible  sign  of  his  inward  determina- 
tion, and  she  realized  that  the  game  so  bravely  and 
piquantly  played  since  she  met  him  was  lost.  They 
had  nearly  arrived  at  the  foregone  conclusion. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Seymour,"  she  said  finally,  "  we  are 
here  at  last;   for  what  are  you  waiting?" 

"  Waiting  for  you." 

"Forme?" 

"  Ay,  only  for  you." 

"I  —  I  —  do  not  understand  you." 

"  You  understand  nothing  apparently,  but  I  will 
explain."  He  stepped  out  on  the  landing-stage,  and 
after  taking  a  turn  or  two  with  the  painter  to  secure 
the  boat,  he  turned  toward  his  captive  with  a  cere- 
monious bow. 

"  Permit  me  to  help  you  ashore." 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  Lieutenant  Seymour ;  if  I  only 
could,  in  this  little  boat,  I  would  courtesy  in  return 
for   that  effort,"  she  answered  with   tremulous  and 

9 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

transparent  bravery.  But  when  the  little  palm  met 
his  own  brown  one,  it  seemed  to  steal  away  some  of 
the  bitterness  of  the  moment.  After  he  had  assisted 
her  upon  the  shore  and  up  the  steps  into  the  boat- 
house,  he  held  her  hand  tight  within  his  own,  and 
with  that  promptitude  which  characterized  him  he 
made  the  plunge. 

"  Oh,  Miss  Wilton  —  Katharine  —  it  is  true  I  have 
known  you  only  a  little  while,  but  all  that  time  — 
ever  since  I  saw  you,  in  fact,  and  even  before,  when 
your  father  showed  me  your  picture  —  I  have  loved 
you.  Nay,  hear  me  out"  There  was  an  unusual  stern- 
ness in  his  voice.  My  lord  appeared  to  be  in  the 
imperative  mood,  —  something  to  which  she  had  not 
been  accustomed.  He  meant  to  be  heard,  and  with 
beating  heart  perforce  she  listened.  "  Quiet  that  spirit 
of  mockery  but  a  moment,  and  attend  my  words,  I 
pray  you.  No,  I  will  not  release  you  until  I  have 
spoken.  These  are  troublous  times.  I  may  leave  at 
any  moment  —  must  leave  when  my  orders  come,  and 
I  expect  them  every  day,  and  before  I  go  I  must 
tell  you  this." 

Her  downcast  eyes  could  still  see  him  blush  and 
then  pale  a  little  under  the  sunburn  and  windburn  of 
his  face,  as  he  went  on  speaking. 

"  I  have  no  one ;  never  had  I  a  sister,  I  can  remem- 
ber no  mother ;  believe  me,  I  entreat  you,  when  I  tell 
you  that  to  no  woman  have  I  ever  said  what  I  have 
just  said  to  you.  We  sailors  think  and  speak  and 
act  quickly,  it  is  a  part  of  our  profession ;  but  if  I 
should  wait  for  years  I  should  think  no  differently 
and  act  in  no  other  way.  I  love  you !  Oh,  Katha- 
rine, I  love  you  as  my  soul." 

10 


KATHARINE  YIELDS 

There  was  a  note  of  passion  in  his  voice  which 
thrilled  her  heart  with  ecstasy;  the  others  had  not 
made  love  this  way. 

"  You  seem  to  me  like  that  star  I  have  often 
watched  in  the  long  hours  of  the  night,  which  has 
shown  me  the  way  on  many  a  trackless  sea.  I  know 
I  am  as  far  beneath  you  as  I  am  beneath  that  star. 
But  though  the  distance  is  great,  my  love  can  bridge 
it,  if  you  will  let  me  try.  Katharine  —  won't  you 
answer  me,  Katharine?  Is  there  nothing  you  can 
say  to  me?  'Dost  thou  love  me,  Kate?  '  "  he  quoted 
softly,  taking  her  other  hand.  How  very  fair,  but 
how  very  far  away  she  looked !  The  color  came 
and  went  in  her  cheek.  He  could  see  her  breast  rise 
and  fall  under  the  mad  beating  of  a  heart  which  had 
escaped  her  control,  though  hitherto  she  had  found 
no  difficulty  in  keeping  it  well  in  hand.  There  was  a 
novelty,  a  difference,  in  the  situation  this  time,  a  new 
and  unexpected  element  in  the  event.  She  hesitated. 
Why  was  it  no  merry  quip  came  to  the  lips  usually 
so  ready  with  repartee?     Alas,  she  must  answer. 

"I  —  I  —  oh,  Mr.  Seymour,"  she  said  softly  and 
slowly,  with  a  downcast  face  she  fain  would  hide,  he 
fain  would  see.  "  I  —  yes,"  she  murmured  with  great 
reluctance ;  "  that  is  —  I  think  so.  You  see,  when 
you  defended  father,  in  the  fight  with  the  brig,  you 
know,  and  got  that  bullet  in  your  shoulder  you 
earned  a  title  to  my  gratitude,  my  — " 

"  I  don't  want  a  title  to  your  gratitude,"  he  in- 
terrupted. "  I  want  your  love,  I  want  you  to  love 
me  for  myself  alone." 

"  And  do  you  think  you  are  worthy  that  I  should  ?  " 
she  replied  with  a  shadow  of  her  former  archness. 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

He  gravely  bent  his  head  and  kissed  her  hand. 
"  No,  Katharine,  I  do  not.  I  can  lay  no  claim  to 
your  hand,  if  it  is  to  be  a  reward  of  merit,  but  I 
love  you  so  —  that  is  the  substance  of  my  hope." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Seymour,  Mr.  Seymour,  you  overvalue 
me.  If  you  do  that  with  all  your  possessions,  you 
will  be  —  Oh,  what  have  I  said?  "  she  cried  in  sud- 
den alarm,  as  he  took  her  in  his  arms. 

"  My  possessions !  Katharine,  may  I  then  count 
you  so?  Oh,  Kate,  my  lovely  Kate  —  "  It  was  over, 
and  over  as  she  would  have  it;  why  struggle  any 
longer?  The  landing  was  a  lonely  little  spot  under 
the  summer-house,  at  the  end  of  the  wharf;  no  one 
could  see  what  happened.  This  time  it  was  not  her 
hand  he  kissed.  The  day  died  away  in  twilight,  but 
for  those  two  a  new  day  began. 

The  army  might  starve  and  die,  battles  be  lost  or 
won,  dynasties  rise  and  fall,  kingdoms  wax  and  wane, 
causes  tremble  in  the  balances,  — what  of  that?  They 
looked  at  each  other  and  forgot  the  world. 


IS 


CHAPTER  II 

The  Country  First  of  All 

OH,  what  is  the  hour,  Mr.  —John?  Shall  I  call 
you  Seymour?  That  is  your  second  name, 
is  it  not?  But  what  would  people  say?  I —  No, 
no,  not  again  ;  we  really  must  go  in.  See  !  I  am  not 
dressed  for  the  evening  yet.  Supper  will  be  ready. 
Now,  Lieutenant  Seymour,  you  must  let  me  go. 
What  will  my  father  think  of  us?  Come,  then. 
Your  hand,  sir." 

The  hill  from  the  boat-landing  was  steep,  but  Mis- 
tress Kate  had  often  run  like  a  young  deer  to  the  top 
of  it  without  appreciating  its  difficulties  as  she  did 
that  evening.  On  every  stepping-stone,  each  steep 
ascent,  she  lingered,  in  spite  of  her  expressed  desire 
for  haste,  and  each  time  his  strong  and  steady  arm 
was  at  her  service.  She  tasted  to  the  full  and  for 
the  first  time  the  sweets  of  loving  dependence. 

As  for  him,  an  admiral  of  the  fleet  after  a  victory 
could  not  have  been  prouder  and  happier.  As  any 
other  man  would  have  done,  he  embraced  or  improved 
the  opportunity  afforded  him  by  their  journey  up  the 
hill,  to  urge  the  old  commonplace  that  he  would  so 
assist  her  up  the  hill  of  life  !  And  so  on.  The  itera- 
tions of  love  never  grow  stale  to  a  lover,  and  the 
saying  was  not  so  trite  to  her  that  it  failed  to  give 
her  the  little  thrill  of  loving  joy  which  seemed,  for 
the  moment  at  least,  to  tame  her  restless  spirit,  that 

13 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

spirit  of  subtle  yet  merry  mockery  which  charmed 
yet  drove  him  mad.  She  was  so  unwontedly  quiet  and 
subdued  that  he  stopped  at  the  brow  of  the  hill,  and 
said,  half  in  alarm,  "  Katharine,  why  so  silent?" 

She  looked  at  him  gravely;  a  new  light,  not  of 
laughter,  in  her  brown  eyes,  saying  in  answer  to  his 
unspoken  thought:  "  I  was  thinking  of  what  you  said 
about  your  orders.  Oh,  if  they  should  come  to-day, 
and  you  should  go  away  on  your  ship  and  be  shot  at 
again  and  perhaps  wounded,  what  should  I  do?  " 

"  Nonsense,  Katharine  dear,  I  am  not  going  to  be 
wounded  any  more.  I  've  something  to  live  for  now, 
you  see,"  he  replied,  smiling,  taking  both  of  her 
hands  in  his  own. 

"  You  always  had  something  to  live  for,  even  be- 
fore —  you  had  me." 

"  And  what  was  that,  pray?  " 

"  Your  country." 

"  Yes,"  he  replied  proudly,  taking  off  his  laced  hat, 
"  and  liberty ;  but  you  go  together  in  my  heart  now, 
Kate,  —  you  and  country." 

"  Don't  say  that,  John  —  well,  Seymour,  then  — 
say  'country  and  you.'  I  would  give  you  up  for  that, 
but  only  for  that." 

"  You  would  do  well,  Katharine ;  our  country  first. 
Since  we  have  engaged  in  this  war,  we  must  succeed. 
I  fancy  that  more  depends,  and  I  only  agree  with 
your  father  there,  upon  the  issue  of  this  war  than  men 
dream  of,  and  that  the  battle  of  liberty  for  the  future 
man  is  being  fought  right  here  and  now.  Unless  our 
people  are  willing  to  sacrifice  everything,  we  cannot 
maintain  that  glorious  independence  which  has  been 
so  brilliantly  declared."     He  said   this   with  all  the 

14 


THE   COUNTRY   FIRST  OF  ALL 

boldness  of  the  Declaration  itself;  but  she,  being  yet 
a  woman,  asked  him  wistfully,  — 

"  Would  you  give  me  up,  sacrifice  me  for  coun- 
try, then?" 

"  Not  for  the  whole  wide  — "  She  laid  a  finger 
upon  his  lips. 

"  Hush,  hush  !  Do  not  even  speak  treason  to  the 
creed.  I  am  a  daughter  of  Virginia.  My  father, 
my  brother,  my  friends,  my  people,  and,  yes,  I  will 
say  it,  my  lover  are  perilling  their  lives  and  have  en- 
gaged their  honor  in  this  contest  for  the  independ- 
ence of  these  colonies,  for  the  cause  of  this  people, 
and  the  safeguarding  of  their  liberties;  and  if  I 
stood  in  the  pathway  of  liberty  for  a  single  instant,  I 
should  despise  the  man  who  would  not  sweep  me 
aside  without  a  moment's  hesitation."  She  spoke 
with  a  pride  and  spirit  which  equalled  his  own,  her 
head  high  in  the  air,  and  her  eyes  flashing. 

She  had  released  her  hands  and  had  suited  the 
gesture  to  the  word,  throwing  out  her  hand  and  arm 
with  a  movement  of  splendid  freedom  and  defiance. 
She  was  a  woman  of  many  moods  and  "  infinite  vari- 
ety." Each  moment  showed  him  something  new  to 
love.  He  caught  the  outstretched  hand,  —  the  loose 
sleeve  had  fallen  back  from  the  wrist,  —  he  pressed 
his  lips  to  the  white  arm,  and  said  with  all  his  soul 
in  his  voice,  — 

"  May  God  prevent  me  from  ever  facing  the  neces- 
sity of  a  choice  like  that,  Katharine !  But  indeed  it 
is  spirit  like  yours  which  makes  men  believe  the 
cause  is  not  wholly  desperate.  When  our  women 
can  so  speak  and  feel,  we  may  confidently  expect  the 
blessing  of  God  upon  our  efforts." 

IS 


FOR   LOVE    OF   COUNTRY 

"  Father  says  that  it  is  because  General  Washing- 
ton knows  the  spirit  of  the  people,  because  he  feels 
that  even  the  youths  and  maidens,  the  little  children, 
cherish  this  feeling,  he  takes  heart,  and  is  confident 
of  ultimate  success.  I  heard  him  say  that  no  king 
could  stand  against  a  united  people." 

"  Would  that  you  could  have  been  in  Paris  with 
your  father  when  he  pleaded  with  King  Louis  and 
his  ministers  for  aid  and  recognition!  We  might 
have  returned  with  a  better  answer  than  paltry  money 
and  a  few  thousand  stand  of  arms,  which  are  only 
promised,  after  all." 

*'  Would  that  I  were  a  man  instead  of  being  a  weak, 
feeble  woman !  "  she  exclaimed  vehemently. 

"  Ah,  but  I  very  much  prefer  you  as  you  are, 
Katharine,  and  't  is  not  little  that  you  can  do.  You 
can  inspire  men  with  your  own  patriotism,  if  you  will. 
There,  for  instance,  is  your  friend  Talbot.  If  you 
could  persuade  him,  with  his  wealth  and  position 
and  influence  in  this  country,  to  join  the  army  in  New 
Jersey  —  "     As  she  shook  her  head,  he  continued : 

"I  am  sure  if  he  thought  as  I  do  of  you,  you  could 
persuade  him  to  anything  but  treachery  or  dishonor." 
His  calm  smile  of  superiority  vanished  in  an  expres- 
sion of  dismay  at  her  reply,  — 

"Talbot!  Hilary  Talbot!  Why,  John,  do  you 
know  that  he  is  —  well,  they  say  that  he  is  in  love 
with  me.  Everybody  expects  that  we  shall  marry 
some  day.  Do  you  see?  These  old  estates  join, 
and  —  " 

"  Kate,  it  is  n't  true,  is  it?  You  don't  care  for  him, 
do  you?"  he  interrupted  in  sudden  alarm. 

"  Care  for  him?  Why,  of  course  I  care  for  him.  I 
i6 


THE   COUNTRY   FIRST   OF   ALL 

have  known  him  ever  since  I  was  a  child ;  but  I  don't 
love  him.  Besides,  he  stays  at  home  while  others 
are  in  the  field.  Silly  boy,  would  I  have  let  you  kiss 
me  in  the  summer-house  if  it  were  so?  No,  sir!  We 
are  not  such  fine  ladies  as  your  friends  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  perhaps,  we  Virginia  country  girls  upon 
whom  your  misses  look  with  scorn,  but  no  man  kisses 
us,  and  no  man  kisses  me,  upon  the  lips  except  the 
one  I  —  that  I  must  —  let  me  see  —  is  the  word 
'  obey  '  ?  Shall  you  make  me  obey  you  all  the  time, 
John?" 

"  Pshaw,  Katharine,  you  never  obey  anybody,  —  so 
your  father  says,  at  least,  —  and  if  you  will  only  love 
me,  that  will  be  sufficient." 

"  Love  you  !  "  —  the  night  had  fallen  and  no  one  was 
near  — "  love  you,  John  !  "  She  kissed  him  bravely 
upon  the  lips.  "  Once,  that 's  for  me,  my  own ;  twice, 
that 's  for  my  country ;  there  is  all  my  heart.  Come, 
sir,  we  must  go  in.     There  are  lights  in  the  house." 

"  Ah,  Katharine,  and  there  is  light  in  my  heart 
too." 

As  they  came  up  the  steps  of  the  high  pillared 
porch  which  completely  covered  the  face  of  the  build- 
ing, they  were  met,  at  the  great  door  which  gave  en- 
trance to  the  spacious  hallway  extending  through  the 
house,  by  a  stately  and  gracious,  if  somewhat  elderly 
gentleman. 

There  was  a  striking  similarity,  if  not  in  facial  ap- 
pearance, at  least  in  the  erect  carriage  and  free  air, 
between  him  and  the  young  girl  who,  disregarding  his 
outstretched  hand  and  totally  disorganizing  his  cere- 
monious bow,  threw  her  arms  about  his  neck  and 
kissed  him  with  unwonted  warmth,  much  to  his  dis- 
2  17 


FOR   LOVE    OF   COUNTRY 

may  and  yet  not  altogether  to  his  displeasure.  Per- 
haps he  suspected  something  from  the  bright  and 
happy  faces  of  the  two  young  people ;  but  if  so,  he 
made  no  comment,  merely  telling  them  that  supper 
had  been  waiting  this  long  time,  and  bidding  them 
hasten  their  preparation  for  the  meal. 

Katharine,  followed  by  Chloe,  her  black  maid,  who 
had  been  waiting  for  her,  hastily  ran  up  the  stairs  to 
her  own  apartments,  upon  this  signal,  but  turned  upon 
the  topmost  stair  and  waved  a  kiss  to  the  two  gentle- 
men who  were  watching  her,  —  one  with  the  dim  eyes 
of  an  old  father,  the  other  with  the  bright  eyes  of  a 
young  lover. 

"  Colonel  Wilton,"  exclaimed  Seymour,  impul- 
sively, "I  have  something  to  say  to  you,  —  some- 
thing I  must  say." 

"  Not  now,  my  young  friend,"  replied  the  colonel, 
genially.  "  Supper  will  be  served,  nay,  is  served  al- 
ready, and  only  awaits  you  and  Katharine ;  afterward 
we  shall  have  the  whole  evening,  and  you  may  say 
what  you  will." 

"  Oh,  but,  colonel  —  " 

"  Nay,  sir,  do  not  lay  upon  me  the  unpleasant  duty 
of  commanding  a  guest,  when  it  is  my  privilege  as 
host  to  entreat.  Go,  Mr.  Seymour,  and  make  you 
ready.  Katharine  will  return  in  a  moment,  and  it 
does  not  beseem  gentlemen,  much  less  officers,  to 
keep  a  lady  waiting,  you  know.  Philip  and  Bentley 
have  gone  fishing,  and  I  am  informed  they  will  not 
return  until  late.     We  will  not  wait  for  them." 

"  As  you  wish,  sir,  but  I  must  have  some  private 
conversation  with  you  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  After  supper,  my  boy,  after  supper." 
i8 


CHAPTER     III 

Colonel  Wilton. 

LEFT  to  himself  for  a  moment,  the  colonel  heaved 
a  deep  sigh ;  he  had  a  premonition  of  what  was 
coming,  and  then  paced  slowly  up  and  down  the  long 
hall. 

He  was  attired,  with  all  the  splendor  of  an  age  in 
which  the  subject  of  dress  engrossed  the  attention  of 
the  wisest  and  best,  in  the  height  of  the  prevailing 
mode,  which  his  recent  arrival  from  Paris,  then  as  now 
the  mould  of  fashion,  permitted  him  to  determine. 
The  soft  light  from  the  wax  candles  in  their  sconces 
in  the  hall  fell  upon  his  thickly  powdered  wig,  ran 
in  little  ripples  up  and  down  the  length  of  his  pol- 
ished dress-sword,  and  sparkled  in  the  brilliants  in  the 
buckles  of  his  shoes.  His  face  was  the  grave  face  of 
a  man  accustomed  from  of  old  not  only  to  com- 
mand, but  to  assume  the  responsibility  of  his  orders ; 
when  they  were  carried  out,  his  manner  was  a  happy 
mixture  of  the  haughty  sternness  of  a  soldier  and  the 
complacent  suavity  of  the  courtier,  tempered  both 
by  the  spirit  of  frankness  and  geniality  born  of  the 
free  life  of  a  Virginia  planter  in  colonial  times. 

In  his  early  youth  he  had  been  a  soldier  under 
Admiral  Vernon,  with  his  old  and  long-deceased 
friend  Lawrence  Washington  at  Cartagena ;  later  on, 
he  had  served  under  Wolfe  at  Quebec.     A  visitor, 

19 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

and  a  welcome  one  too,  at  half  the  courts  of  Europe, 
he  looked  the  man  of  affairs  he  was ;  in  spite  of  his 
advanced  age,  he  held  himself  as  erect,  and  carried 
himself  as  proudly  as  he  had  done  on  the  Heights  of 
Abraham  or  in  the  court  of  St.  Germain. 

Too  old  to  incur  the  hardships  of  the  field.  Colonel 
Wilton  had  yet  offered  his  services,  with  the  ardor  of 
the  youngest  patriot,  to  his  country,  and  pledged  his 
fortune,  by  no  means  inconsiderable,  in  its  support. 
The  Congress,  glad  to  avail  themselves  of  the  services 
of  so  distinguished  a  man,  had  sent  him,  in  company 
with  Silas  Deane  and  Benjamin  Franklin,  as  an  em- 
bassy to  the  court  of  King  Louis,  bearing  proposals 
for  an  alliance  and  with  a  request  for  assistance  dur- 
ing the  deadly  struggle  of  the  colonies  with  the 
hereditary  foe  of  France.  They  had  been  reasonably 
successful  in  a  portion  of  their  attempt,  at  least ;  as 
the  French  government  had  agreed,  though  secretly, 
to  furnish  arms  and  other  munitions  of  war  through 
a  pseudo-mercantile  firm  which  was  represented  by  M. 
de  Beaumarchais,  the  gifted  author  of  the  comedy  "  Le 
Mariage  de  Figaro."  The  French  had  also  agreed 
to  furnish  a  limited  amount  of  money;  but,  more 
important  than  all  these,  there  were  hints  and  indica- 
tions that  if  the  American  army  could  win  any  de- 
cisive battle  or  maintain  the  unequal  conflict  for  any 
length  of  time,  an  open  and  closer  alliance  would  be 
made.  The  envoys  had  despatched  Colonel  Wilton, 
from  their  number,  back  to  America  to  make  a  report 
of  the  progress  of  their  negotiations  to  Congress. 
This  had  been  done,  and  General  Washington  had 
been  informed  of  the  situation. 

The  little  ship,  one  of  the  gallant  vessels  of  the 
20 


COLONEL  WILTON 

nascent  American  navy,  in  which  Colonel  Wilton  had 
returned  from  France,  had  attacked  and  captured  a 
British  brig  of  war  during  the  return  passage,  and 
young  Seymour,  who  was  the  first  lieutenant  of  the 
ship,  was  severely  wounded.  The  wound  had  been 
received  through  his  efforts  to  protect  Colonel  Wilton, 
who  had  incautiously  joined  the  boarding-party  which 
had  captured  the  brig.  After  the  interview  with  Con- 
gress, Colonel  Wilton  was  requested  to  await  further 
instructions  before  returning  to  France,  and,  pending 
the  result  of  the  deliberations  of  Congress,  after  a 
brief  visit  to  the  headquarters  of  his  old  friend  and 
neighbor  General  Washington,  he  had  retired  to  his 
estate.  As  a  special  favor,  he  was  permitted  to  bring 
with  him  the  wounded  lieutenant,  in  order  that  he 
might  recuperate  and  recover  from  his  wound  in  the 
pleasant  valleys  of  Virginia.  That  Seymour  was 
willing  to  leave  his  own  friends  in  Philadelphia,  with 
all  their  care  and  attention,  was  due  entirely  to  his 
desire  to  meet  Miss  Katharine  Wilton,  of  whose 
beauty  he  had  heard,  and  whose  portrait  indeed,  in 
her  father's  possession,  which  he  had  seen  before  on 
the  voyage,  had  borne  out  her  reputation.  Seymour 
had  been  informed  since  his  stay  at  the  Wiltons'  that 
he  had  been  detached  from  the  brig  Argus,  and  noti- 
fied that  he  was  to  receive  orders  shortly  to  report  to 
the  ship  Ranger,  commanded  by  a  certain  Captain 
John  Paul  Jones ;  and  he  knew  that  he  might  expect 
his  sailing  orders  at  any  moment.  He  had  improved, 
as  has  been  seen,  the  days  of  his  brief  stay  to  recover 
from  one  wound  and  receive  another,  and,  as  might 
have  been  expected,  he  had  fallen  violently  in  love 
with  Katharine  Wilton. 

21 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

There  were  also  staying  at  the  house,  besides  the 
servants  and  slaves,  young  Philip  Wilton,  Katharine's 
brother,  a  lad  of  sixteen,  who  had  just  received  a  mid- 
shipman's warrant,  and  was  to  accompany  Seymour 
when  he  joined  the  Ranger,  then  outfitting  at  Philadel- 
phia ;  and  Bentley,  an  old  and  veteran  sailor,  a  boat- 
swain's mate,  who  had  accompanied  Seymour  from 
ship  to  ship  ever  since  the  lieutenant  was  a  midship- 
man, —  a  man  who  had  but  one  home,  the  sea  ;  one 
hate,  the  English;  one  love,  his  country;  and  one 
attachment,  Seymour. 

Colonel  Wilton  was  a  widower.  As  Katharine  came 
down  the  stairway,  clad  in  all  the  finery  her  father 
had  brought  back  for  her  from  Paris,  her  hair  rolled 
high  and  powdered,  the  old  family  diamonds  with 
their  quaint  setting  of  silver  sparkling  upon  her 
snowy  neck,  her  fan  languidly  waving  in  her  hand, 
she  looked  strikingly  like  a  pictured  woman  smiling 
down  at  them  from  over  the  mantel ;  but  to  the  sweet- 
ness and  archness  of  her  mother's  laughing  face  were 
added  some  of  the  colonel's  pride,  determination,  and 
courage.  He  stepped  to  meet  her,  and  then  bent  and 
kissed  the  hand  she  extended  toward  him,  with  all 
the  grace  of  the  old  regime ;  and  Seymour  coming 
upon  them  was  entranced  with  the  picture. 

He  too  had  changed  his  attire,  and  now  was  clad 
in  the  becoming  dress  of  a  naval  lieutenant  of  the 
period.  He  wore  a  sword,  of  course,  and  a  dark 
blue  uniform  coat  relieved  with  red  facings,  with  a 
single  epaulet  on  his  shoulder  which  denoted  his 
official  rank ;  his  blond  hair  was  lightly  touched  with 
powder,  and  tied,  after  the  fashion  of  active  service, 
in  a  queue  with  a  black  ribbon. 

22 


COLONEL  WILTON 

"  Now,  Seymour,  since  you  two  truants  have  come 
at  last,  will  you  do  me  the  honor  to  hand  Miss  Wilton 
to  the  dining-room?"  remarked  the  colonel,  straight- 
ening up. 

With  a  low  bow,  Seymour  approached  the  object 
of  his  adoration,  who,  after  a  sweeping  courtesy,  gave 
him  her  hand.  With  much  state  and  ceremony,  pre- 
ceded by  one  of  the  servants,  who  had  been  waiting 
in  attention  in  the  hall,  and  followed  by  the  colonel, 
and  lastly  by  the  colonel's  man,  a  stiff  old  campaigner 
who  had  been  with  him  many  years,  they  entered  the 
dining-room,  which  opened  from  the  rear  of  the  hall. 

The  table  was  a  mass  of  splendid  plate,  which 
sparkled  under  the  soft  light  of  the  wax  candles  in 
candelabra  about  the  room  or  on  the  table,  and  the 
simple  meal  was  served  with  all  the  elegance  and  pre- 
cision which  were  habitual  with  the  gentleman  of  as 
fine  a  school  as  Colonel  Wilton. 

At  the  table,  instead  of  the  light  and  airy  talk 
which  might  have  been  expected  in  the  situation,  the 
conversation  assumed  that  grave  and  serious  tone 
which  denoted  the  imminence  of  the  emergency. 

The  American  troops  had  been  severely  defeated 
at  Long  Island  in  the  summer,  and  since  that  time 
had  suffered  a  series  of  reverses,  being  forced  steadily 
back  out  of  New  York,  after  losing  Fort  Washington, 
and  down  through  the  Jerseys,  relentlessly  pursued 
by  Howe  and  Cornwallis.  Washington  was  now  mak- 
ing his  way  slowly  to  the  west  bank  of  the  Delaware. 
He  was  losing  men  at  every  step,  some  by  desertion, 
more  by  the  expiration  of  the  terms  of  their  en- 
listment. The  news  which  Colonel  Wilton  had 
brought  threw  a  frail  hope  over  the  situation;  but 

23 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

ruin  stared  them  in  the  face,  and  unless  something 
decisive  was  soon  accomplished,  the  game  would  be 
lost. 

"  Did  you  have  a  pleasant  ride  up  the  river,  Kath- 
arine? "  asked  her  father. 

"Very,  sir,"  she  answered,  blushing  violently  and 
looking  involuntarily  at  Seymour,  who  matched  her 
blush  with  his  own. 

There  was  a  painful  pause,  which  Seymour  broke, 
coming  to  the  rescue  with  a  counter  question. 

"Did  you  notice  that  small  sloop  creeping  up 
under  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  colonel,  this  even- 
ing? I  should  think  she  must  be  opposite  the  house 
now,  if  the  wind  has  held." 

"Why,  when  did  you  see  her,  Mr.  Seymour?  I 
thought  you  were  looking  at  —  at  —  "  She  broke 
off  in  confusion,  under  her  father's  searching  gaze. 
He  smiled,  and  said,  — 

"Ah,  Katharine,  trained  eyes  see  all  things  unusual 
about  them,  although  they  are  apparently  bent  per- 
sistently upon  one  spot.  Yes,  Seymour,  I  did  notice 
it;  if  we  were  farther  down  the  river,  we  might  sus- 
pect it  of  being  an  enemy,  but  up  here  I  fancy 
even  Dunmore's  malevolence  would  scarcely  dare  to 
follow." 

Katharine  looked  up  in  alarm.  "  Oh,  father,  do 
you  think  it  is  quite  safe?  Chloe  told  me  that 
Phoebus  told  her  that  the  raiders  had  visited  Major 
Lithcomb's  plantation,  and  you  know  that  is  not 
more  than  fifty  miles  down  the  river  from  us. 
Would  it  not  be  well  to  take  some  precaution? " 

"  Tut,  tut,  child !  gossip  of  the  negro  servants !  " 
The  colonel  waved  it  aside  carelessly.     "I  hardly 

24 


COLONEL  WILTON 

think  we  have  anything  to  fear  at  present ;  though 
what  his  lordship  may  do  in  the  end,  unless  he  is 
checked,  I  hardly  like  to  imagine." 

"But,  father,"  persisted  Katharine,  "they  said 
that  Johnson  was  in  command  of  the  party,  and  you 
know  he  hates  you.  You  remember  he  said  he 
would  get  even  with  you  if  it  cost  him  his  life, 
when  you  had  him  turned  out  of  the  club  at 
Williamsburg." 

"Pshaw,  Katharine,  the  wretch  would  not  dare. 
It  is  a  cowardly  blackguard,  Seymour,  whom  I  saw 
cheating  at  cards  at  the  Assembly  Club  at  the  cap- 
ital. I  had  him  expelled  from  the  society  of  gentle- 
men, where,  indeed,  he  had  no  right  of  admittance, 
and  I  scarcely  know  how  he  got  there  originally. 
He  made  some  threats  against  me,  to  which  I  nat- 
urally paid  no  attention.  But  what  did  you  think 
of  the  vessel .-'  " 

"  I  confess  I  saw  nothing  suspicious  about  her, 
sir,"  replied  Seymour.  "She  seemed  very  much 
like  the  packets  which  ply  on  the  river;  I  only 
spoke  idly  of  the  subject." 

"But,  father,  the  packet  went  up  last  week,  the 
day  before  you  came  back,  and  is  due  coming  down 
the  river  now,  while  this  boat  is  coming  up,"  said 
Katharine. 

"  Oh,  well,  I  think  we  are  safe  enough  now ; 
but,  to  relieve  your  unusual  anxiety,  I  will  send 
Blodgett  down  to  the  wharf  to  examine  and  report. 
—  Blodgett,  do  you  go  down  to  the  boat-landing  and 
keep  watch  for  an  hour  or  two.  Take  your  musket, 
man ;  there  is  no  knowing  what  you  might  need  it 
for." 

as 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

The  old  soldier,  who  had  stationed  himself  be- 
hind the  colonel's  chair,  saluted  with  military 
precision,  and  left  the  room,  saying,  "Very  good, 
sir;  I  shall  let  nothing  escape  my  notice,  sir." 

"  Now,  Katharine,  I  hope  you  are  satisfied. " 

"Yes,  father;  but  if  it  is  the  raiders,  Blodgett 
won't  be  able  to  stop  them." 

"  The  raiders, "  laughed  the  colonel ;  and  pinch- 
ing his  daughter's  ear,  he  said,  "I  suspect  the  only 
raiders  we  shall  see  here  will  be  those  who  have 
designs  upon  your  heart,  my  bonny  Kate,  —  eh, 
Seymour.-*  " 

"They  would  never  dare  to  wear  a  British  uni- 
form in  that  case,  father,"  she  retorted  proudly. 

"Well,  Seymour,  I  hear,  through  an  express  from 
Congress  to-day,  that  Captain  Jones  has  been  ordered 
to  command  the  Ranger,  and  that  the  new  flag— >• 
we  will  drink  to  it,  if  you  please;  yes,  you  too, 
Katharine ;  God  bless  every  star  and  stripe  in  it  — 
will  soon  be  seen  on  the  ocean." 

"It  will  be  a  rare  sight  there,  sir,"  said  Seymour; 
"but  it  will  not  be  long  before  the  exploits  of  the 
Ranger  will  make  it  known  on  the  high  seas,  if 
rumor  does  not  belie  her  captain." 

"  I  trust  so;  but  do  you  know  this  Captain  Jones }  " 

"  Not  at  all,  sir,  save  by  reputation ;  but  I  am  told 
he  has  one  requisite  for  a  successful  officer." 

"And  what  is  that.?" 

"He  will  fight  anything,  at  any  time,  or  at  any 
place,  no  matter  what  the  odds." 

Colonel  Wilton  smiled.  "Ah,  well,  if  it  were 
not  for  men  of  that  kind,  our  little  navy  would  never 
have  a  chance." 

26 


COLONEL  WILTON 

"No,  father,  nor  the  army,  either;  if  we  waited 
for  equality  before  fighting,  I  am  afraid  we  should 
wait  forever." 

"True,  Katharine.  By  the  way,  have  you  seen 
Talbot  to-day.?" 

"No,  father." 

"  I  wish  that  we  might  enlist  his  services  in  the 
cause.  I  don't  think  there  is  much  doubt  about 
Talbot  himself,   is  there  ?  " 

"No.  It  is  his  mother,  you  know;  she  is  a 
loyalist  to  the  core.  As  were  her  ancestors,  so  is 
she." 

The  colonel  nodded  gently;  he  had  a  soft  spot  in 
his  heart  for  the  subject  of  their  discussion.  "With 
her  teaching  and  training,  I  can  well  understand  it, 
Katharine.  Proud,  of  high  birth,  descended  from 
the  '  loyal  Talbots, '  and  the  widow  of  one  of  them, 
she  cannot  bear  the  thought  of  rebellion  against  the 
king.  I  don't  think  she  cares  much  for  the  people, 
or  their  liberties  either." 

"  Yes,  father ;  with  her  the  creed  is,  the  king  can 
do  no  wrong." 

"Ah,  well,"  said  the  colonel,  reflectively,  "I 
thought  so  too  once,  and  many  is  the  blow  I  have 
struck  for  this  same  king.  But  liberty  is  above 
royalty,  independence  not  a  dweller  in  the  court; 
so,  in  my  old  age,  I  find  myself  on  a  different  side." 
He  sipped  his  wine  thoughtfully  a  moment,  and 
continued, — 

"Madam  Talbot  has  certainly  striven  to  restrain 
the  boy,  and  successfully  so  far.  He  is  a  splendid 
fellow ;  I  wish  we  had  him.  He  would  be  of  great 
service  to  the  cause,  with  his  name  and  influence, 

27 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

and  the  money  he  would  bring;  and  then  the  quality 
of  the  young  man  himself  would  be  of  value  to  us. 
You  have  met  him,  Seymour,  I  believe?  " 

"Yes,  sir,  several  times;  and  I  agree  with  you 
entirely.  It  is  his  mother  who  keeps  him  back.  I 
have  had  one  or  two  conversations  with  her.  She  is 
a  Tory  through  and  through. " 

"Not  a  doubt  of  it,  not  a  doubt  of  it,"  said  the 
colonel.  "Katharine,  can't  you  do  something  with 
him .? " 

"Oh,  father,  you  know  that  I  have  talked  with 
him,  pleaded  with  him,  and  begged  him  to  follow  his 
inclination;  but  he  remains  by  his  mother." 

"  Nonsense,  Katharine !  Don't  speak  of  him  in  that 
way ;  give  him  time.  It  is  a  hard  thing :  he  is  her 
only  son ;  she  is  a  widow.  Let  us  hope  that  some- 
thing will  induce  him  to  come  over  to  us."  He  said 
this  in  gentle  reproof  of  his  spirited  daughter;  and 
then,  — 

"  Permit  me  to  offer  you  a  glass  of  wine,  Seymour, 
—  you  are  not  drinking  anything ;  and  to  whom  shall 
we  drink  ?  " 

Seymour,  who  had  been  quaffing  deep  draughts  of 
Katharine's  beauty,  replied  promptly, — 

"If  I  might  suggest,  sir,  I  should  say  Mistress 
Wilton." 

"No,  no,"  said  Katharine.  "Drink,  first  of  all, 
to  the  success  of  our  cause.  I  will  give  you  a  toast, 
gentlemen:  Before  our  sweethearts,  our  sisters,  our 
wives,  our  mothers,  let  us  place  —  our  country,"  she 
exclaimed,  lifting  her  own  glass. 

The  colonel  laughed  as  he  drank  his  toast,  saying, 
"  Nothing  comes  before  country  with  Katharine." 

28 


COLONEL  WILTON 

And  Seymour,  while  he  appreciated  the  spirit  of 
the  maiden,  felt  a  little  pang  of  grief  that  even 
to  a  country  he  should  be  second,  — an  astonishing 
change  from  that  spirit  of  humility  which  a  moment 
since  contented  itself  with  metaphorically  kissing 
the  ground  she  walked  upon. 

"  By  the  way,  father,  where  is  Philip  ? "  asked 
Katharine. 

"  He  went  up  the  branch  fishing,  with  Bentley,  I 
believe." 

"  But  is  n't  it  time  they  returned.?  Do  you  know, 
I  feel  nervous  about  them ;  suppose  those  raiders  —  " 

"  Pshaw,  child !  Still  harping  on  the  raiders .-'  and 
nervous  too !  What  ails  you,  daughter  ?  I  thought 
you  never  were  nervous.  We  Wiltons  are  not  accus- 
tomed to  nervousness,  you  know,  and  what  must  our 
guest  think  ?  " 

"Nothing  but  what  is  altogether  agreeable,"  re- 
plied Seymour,  a  little  too  promptly;  and  then,  to 
cover  his  confusion,  he  continued :  "  But  I  think  Miss 
Wilton  need  feel  under  no  apprehension.  Master 
Philip  is  with  Bentley,  and  I  would  trust  the  pru- 
dence and  courage  and  skill  of  that  man  in  any  situ- 
ation. You  know  my  father,  who  was  a  shipmaster, 
when  he  died  aboard  his  ship  in  the  China  seas, 
gave  me,  a  little  boy  taking  a  cruise  with  him,  into 
Bentley's  charge,  and  told  him  to  make  a  sailor  and 
a  man  of  me,  and  from  that  day  he  has  never  left  me. 
At  my  house,  in  Philadelphia,  he  is  a  privileged 
character.  There  never  was  a  truer,  better,  braver 
man ;  and  as  for  patriotism,  love  of  country  is  a  pas- 
sion with  him,  colonel.  He  might  set  an  example 
to  many  in  higher  station  in  that  particular." 

29 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"Yes,  I  have  noticed  that  peculiarity  about  the 
man.  I  think  Philip  is  safe  enough  with  him, 
Katharine,  even  if  those  —  Ha !  what  is  that  ? " 
The  colonel  sprang  to  his  feet,  as  the  sound  of  a 
musket-shot  rang  out  in  the  night  air,  followed  by 
one  or  two  pistol-shots  and  then  a  muffled  cry. 


30 


CHAPTER  IV 
Lord  Dunmore's  Men  Pay  an  Evening  Call 

"/'"XH,  father,  it  must  be  the  raiders!     That  was 

v^  Blodgett's  voice,"  cried  Katharine,  looking 
very  pale  and  clasping  her  hands, 

"  Let  me  go  and  investigate,  colonel,"  said  Sey- 
mour, leaping  to  his  feet  and  seizing  his  sword. 

"Do  so,  Seymour,"  cried  the  colonel,  as  the  sailor 
hastily  left  the  room,  "  Phoebus,"  to  the  butler,  "  go 
tell  Caesar  to  call  the  slaves  to  the  house.  You, 
Scipio,"  to  one  of  the  footmen,  "  go  open  the  arm- 
chest.  Katharine,  reach  me  my  sword.  See  that  the 
doors  are  closed,  Billy,"  said  the  colonel  to  the  other 
servant,  rapidly  and  with  perfect  coolness,  "  I  think, 
Katharine,  that  perhaps  you  would  better  retire  to 
your  room ;  "  but  even  as  he  spoke  the  sound  of 
hurried  footsteps  and  excited  voices  outside  was 
heard.  After  a  few  moments  one  of  the  field-hands, 
followed  by  Seymour,  burst  panting  into  the  room, 
his  mouth  working  with  excitement  and  his  eyes 
almost  starting  from  his  head. 

"  Well,  sir,  what  is  it?"  said  the  colonel. 

"  Foh  de  Lawd's  sake,  suh,  dey  'se  a-comin',  suh, 
dey'se  a-comin',  Dey'se  right  behin'  me;  dey '11  be 
heah  in  a  minute,  suh." 

"  Who  is  coming,  you  idiot !  "  exclaimed  the 
colonel. 

31 


FOR   LOVE    OF   COUNTRY 

"  De  redcoats,  de  British  sojuhs,  suh  ;  dey  'se  fohty 
boat-loads  ob  'em ;  dey  'se  come  off  fum  de  lil'  sloop 
out  in  de  ribah,  and  dey  'se  gwine  kill  we  all,  and  bu'n 
de  house  down.  Dey  done  shot  Mars'  Blodgett,  and 
dey  'se  coming  heah  special  to  get  you,  suh.  Mars' 
Kunnel,  kase  I  heahd  dem  say,  when  I  was  lyin'  down 
on  de  wha'f,  dat  de  man  dey  wanted  was  dat  Kunnel 
Wilton." 

"  It  is  quite  true,  sir;  they  seem  to  be  a  party  of 
raiders  of  some  sort,"  said  Seymour,  coolly.  "  I  fear 
that  Blodgett  has  been  killed,  as  I  heard  nothing 
of  him.  I  saw  them  from  the  brow  of  the  hill.  Per- 
haps you  may  escape  by  the  back  way,  though 
there  is  little  time  for  that.  Do  you  take  Miss 
Wilton  and  try  it,  sir ;  leave  me  to  hold  these  men 
in  play." 

"  Yes,  yes,  father,"  urged  Katharine ;  "  I  know  it 
must  be  Lord  Dunmore's  men  and  Johnson.  They 
know  that  you  have  come  back  from  France,  and 
now  the  man  wants  to  take  you  prisoner.  You 
remember  what  the  governor  told  you  at  Wil- 
liamsburg, that  he  would  make  you  rue  the  day 
you  cast  your  lot  in  with  the  colonists  and  refused  to 
assist  him  in  the  prosecution  of  his  measures.  And 
you  know  we  have  been  warned  at  least  a  dozen 
times  about  it.  Oh,  what  shall  we  do?  Do  fly,  and 
let  me  stay  here  and  receive  these  men." 

"  What !  my  daughter,  do  you  think  a  Wilton  has 
ever  left  his  house  to  be  defended  by  his  guest  and 
by  a  woman!  Seymour,  I  believe,  however,  as  an 
officer  in  the  service  of  our  country,  your  best  course 
is  to  leave  while  there  is  yet  time." 

"  I  will  never  leave  you,  sir ;  I  will  stay  here  with 
3* 


AN   EVENING   CALL 

you  and  Mistress  Katharine,  and  share  whatever  fate 
may  have  in  store  for  you." 

But  even  as  he  spoke,  the  crowding  footsteps  of 
many  men  were  heard  at  both  entrances  to  the  wide 
hall-way  which  ran  through  the  house.  At  the  same 
moment  the  door  was  violently  thrown  open,  and  the 
dining-room  was  filled  with  an  irregular  mass  of  mot- 
ley, ragged,  red-coated  men,  whose  reckless  demeanor 
and  hardened  faces  indicated  that  they  had  been  re- 
cruited from  the  lowest  and  most  depraved  classes  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  colony.  They  were  led  by  a 
middle-aged  man  of  dissipated  appearance,  whose 
rough  and  brutal  aspect  was  not  concealed  by  the  cap- 
tain's uniform  he  wore,  nor  was  the  malicious  triumph 
in  his  bearing  and  in  his  voice  veiled  by  the  mock 
courtesy  with  which  he  advanced,  pistol  in  hand. 

"What  means  this  intrusion,  sir?"  shouted  Colonel 
Wilton,  in  a  voice  of  thunder. 

"  This  is  Colonel  Wilton,  I  believe,  is  it  not }  "  said 
the  leader  of  the  band,  taking  off  his  hat. 

"Yes,  sir,  it  is;  you,  Mr.  Johnson,  should  be  the 
last  to  forget  it,  and  I  desire  to  know  at  once  the 
meaning  of  this  outrageous  descent  upon  a  peaceful 
dwelling." 

The  man  bowed  low  with  mock  courtesy.  "  I  shall 
have  to  ask  your  pardon,  my  dear  sir,  for  appearing 
before  the  great  Colonel  Wilton  so  unceremoniously. 
But  my  orders,  I  regret  to  say,  allow  me  no  discre- 
tion whatever;  they  are  imperative.  You  are  my 
prisoner.  I  have  been  sent  here  by  my  Lord  Dun- 
more,  the  governor  of  this  colony  of  Virginia,  to 
secure  the  persons  of  some  of  the  principal  rebel- 
lious subjects  of  his  majesty  King  George,  and  your 
3  33 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

name,  unfortunately,  is  the  first  and  chiefest  on  the 
list.  I  shall  have  to  request  you  to  accompany  me 
at  once." 

The  master  of  the  situation  smiled  mockingly,  and 
the  colonel,  white  with  anger,  looked  about  the  room. 
Resistance  was  perfectly  hopeless ;  all  the  windows 
even  were  now  blocked  up  by  the  irregular  soldiery. 

"  He  has  chosen  a  fit  man  to  do  his  work,"  said 
the  colonel,  in  haughty  scorn;  "failing  gentlemen, 
he  must  needs  take  blackguards  and  bullies  into  his 
service  as  housebreakers  and  raiders." 

Johnson  flushed  visibly,  as  he  said  with  another 
bow,  **  Colonel  Wilton  would  better  remember  that  I 
am  master  now." 

"  Sir,  I  am  not  likely  to  forget  it.  There  is  the 
family  plate.  I  presume,  from  what  I  know  of  your 
habits,  that  will  not  be  overlooked  by  you." 

"  Quite  so,"  he  returned ;  "  it  will  doubtless  be  a 
welcome  contribution  to  the  treasury  of  his  majes- 
ty's colony.  Mistress  Wilton's  diamonds  also,"  he 
said  meaningly;  and  then,  turning  to  two  of  his  men, 
**  Williams,  you  and  Jones  bundle  up  the  plate  in  the 
tablecloth,  get  what 's  on  the  sideboard  too  ;  "  and  lay- 
ing his  pistols  down  upon  the  table,  he  continued : 
"But  before  Colonel  Wilton  insults  me  again,  it 
might  be  well  for  him  to  remember  that  I  am  master 
not  only  of  his  person,  but  of  the  persons  of  all 
others  who  are  in  this  room." 

The  colonel  started,  and  Johnson  laughed,  looking 
with  insolence  from  Katharine  to  her  father. 

"What,  sir!  I  reach  through  your  insolent  pride 
now,  do  I  ?  Curse  you  !  "  with  sudden  heat,  throw- 
ing off  even  the  mask  of  politeness  he  had  hardly 

34 


AN   EVENING   CALL 

worn.  "I  swore  I  would  have  revenge  for  that  in- 
sult at  Williamsburg,  and  now  it 's  my  hour.  You 
are  to  go  with  me,  and  go  peaceably  and  quietly,  or, 
by  God,  I  '11  have  you  kicked  and  dragged  out  of 
the  building,  or  killed  like  that  old  fool  who  tried  to 
stop  us  coming  up  on  the  landing." 

"  What !  Blodgett,  my  old  friend  Blodgett !  You 
villain,  you  have  n't  dared  to  kill  him,  have  you  ? 
Oh,  my  faithful  — " 

"  Silence,  sir !  We  dare  anything.  What  consider- 
ation has  a  rebel  a  right  to  expect  at  the  hands  of  his 
majesty's  faithful  Rangers?  You,  Bruce  and  Denton, 
seize  the  old  man.  If  he  makes  any  trouble,  knock 
him  down,  or  kill  him,  for  aught  I  care.  One  of 
you,  take  the  girl  there.  As  for  you,  sir,"  to  Sey- 
mour, who  had  been  quietly  watching  the  scene,  "I 
don't  know  who  you  are,  but  you  are  in  bad  com- 
pany, and  you  will  have  to  consider  yourself  a  pris- 
oner ;  I  trust  you  have  sense  enough  to  come  without 
force  being  used.  And  so,"  clapping  his  hat  on  his 
head  defiantly,  "  God  save  the  king !  " 

Two  of  the  soldiers  seized  the  colonel  in  spite 
of  the  vigorous  resistance  he  made;  another  ap- 
proached Katharine,  who  had  stood  with  clasped 
hands  during  the  whole  of  the  colloquy  between 
Johnson  and  her  father.  The  soldier  rudely  chucked 
her  under  the  chin,  saying,  "  Come  on,  my  pretty 
one !  you  '11  give  us  a  kiss,  won't  you,  before  we 
start?"  As  she  drew  back,  paling  at  the  insult, 
Seymour,  who  had  seen  and  heard  it  all,  quick  as  a 
flash  drew  his  sword,  and  threw  himself  upon  the 
soldier;  one  rapid  thrust  at  the  surprised  man  he 
made,  with  all  the  force  and  skill  begotten  of  long 

35 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

practice  and  a  strong  arm,  and  the  hilt  of  his  blade 
crushed  against  the  man's  throat,  and  he  fell  dead 
upon  the  floor.  At  the  same  instant  one  of  the 
other  soldiers,  who  had  observed  the  action,  struck 
Seymour  over  the  head  with  his  clubbed  musket, 
and  he  also  fell  heavily  to  the  floor,  and  lay  there 
senseless  and  still,  blood  running  from  a  fearful- 
looking  wound  in  his  forehead.  The  room  was  filled 
with  tumult  in  an  instant,  and  with  shouts  of  "  Kill 
him !  "  "  Shove  your  bayonet  through  the  damn  rebel 
hound  !  "  "  Shoot  him !  "  "  Kill  him  !  "  the  men  moved 
towards  Seymour.   Johnson  looked  on  unconcernedly. 

"  Good  God !  "  shrieked  the  colonel,  writhing  in 
the  grasp  of  the  men  who  held  him,  "  are  you  going 
to  allow  a  senseless,  wounded  man  to  be  murdered 
before  your  eyes?  Oh,  how  could  anybody  ever 
mistake  you  for  a  gentleman  for  an  instant?"  he 
added,  with  withering  contempt ;  and  then  turning  his 
head  toward  the  fierce  soldiery,  "  Stop,  stop,  you 
bloody  assassins  !  "  he  cried. 

"  Silence,  sir !  He  might  as  well  die  this  way  as 
on  the  gallows.  Besides,  he  struck  the  first  blow,  and 
he  has  killed  one  of  his  majesty's  loyal  soldiers. 
The  soldier  only  wanted  to  kiss  the  girl  anyway,  and 
she  will  find,  before  she  gets  to  camp,  that  kisses  are 
cheap." 

"  Oh,  my  God,"  groaned  the  father,  "  and  they  call 
this  war ! " 

At  this  moment  one  of  the  soldiers  lifted  his  bayo- 
net to  plunge  it  into  the  prostrate  form  of  the  uncon- 
scious sailor.  There  was  a  blinding  flash  of  light  in 
the  room,  and  a  quick,  sharp  report.  The  man's 
arm  dropped  to  his  side,  and  he  shrieked  and  groaned 


AN   EVENING  CALL 

with  pain.  Katharine,  unnoticed  in  the  confusion, 
had  slipped  to  the  side  of  the  table,  and  had  quickly- 
picked  up  one  of  the  pistols  which  Johnson  had  laid 
upon  it  after  the  silver  had  been  taken  away.  Her 
ready  decision  and  unerring  aim  had  saved  her 
lover's  life.  She  threw  the  smoking  pistol  she  had 
used  with  such  effect  down  at  her  feet,  and,  seizing 
the  other,  she  stepped  over  to  the  side  of  her  uncon- 
scious lover. 

"  I  swear,"  she  said,  in  a  shrill,  high-pitched  voice 
which  just  escaped  a  scream,  and  which  trembled 
with  the  agitation  of  the  moment,  "  by  my  hope  of 
heaven,  if  a  single  man  of  you  lay  hands  on  him,  he 
shall  have  this  bullet  also,  you  cowards !  " 

After  a  moment's  hesitation,  amid  shouts  of  "  Kill 
the  girl !  "  the  men  surged  toward  her.  Chloe,  her 
black  maid,  flung  herself  upon  her  mistress'  breast. 

"  Oh,  honey,  I  let  dem  kill  me  fust." 

"Well  done,  Kate!  It's  the  true  Wilton  blood. 
Oh,  if  I  had  a  free  arm,  you  villains ! "  cried  the  still 
struggling  colonel. 

"  Seize  the  girl,"  Johnson  commanded  promptly, 
"  and  let  us  get  out  of  this." 

The  men  made  a  rush  toward  the  table  where 
Katharine  stood  undaunted,  her  face  flushed  with 
excitement,  her  mouth  tense  with  resolution.  She 
cried,  — 

"  Have  a  care,  men !  have  a  care  !  " 

One  life  she  could  still  command  with  her  loaded 
pistol.  Her  hands  did  not  tremble.  She  waited  to 
strike  once  more  for  love  and  country,  but  it  would 
be  all  over  in  a  moment. 

The  colonel  groaned  in  agony,  "  Kate,  Kate !  "  but 
37 


FOR  LOVE  OF  COUNTRY 

they  were  almost  upon  her,  when  a  new  voice  rose 
above  the  uproar,  — 

"  Hold  !  Are  you  men?  Do  you  war  with  old  men 
and  women  ?  Back  with  you !  Get  back,  you  dogs ! 
Back,  I  say !  " 


38 


CHAPTER  V 
A  Timely  Interference 

A  YOUNG  man  in  the  uniform  of  a  British  naval 
lieutenant  leaped  in  front  of  the  girl  with 
drawn  sword,  with  which  he  laid  about  him  lustily, 
striking  some  of  the  men  with  the  flat  of  it,  threaten- 
ing others  with  the  point;  and  backing  his  actions 
by  the  prompt  commands  of  one  not  accustomed  to 
be  gainsaid,  he  soon  cleared  the  space  in  front  of 
her. 

"  How  dare  you  interfere  in  this  matter,  my  lord?  " 
shouted  Johnson,  passionately.  "  I  command  this 
party,  and  I  intend  — " 

"  I  know  you  do,"  replied  the  officer,  "  and  that  I 
am  only  a  volunteer  who  has  chosen  to  accom- 
pany you,  worse  luck !  but  I  am  a  gentleman  and  a 
lieutenant  in  his  Britannic  majesty's  navy,  and  by 
heaven  !  when  I  see  old  men  mishandled,  and  wounded 
helpless  men  about  to  be  assassinated,  and  young 
women  insulted,  I  don't  care  who  commands  the 
party,  I  interfere.  And  I  don't  propose  to  bandy 
words  with  any  runagate  American  partisan  who  uses 
his  commission  to  further  private  vengeance.  And  I 
swear  to  you,  on  my  honor,  if  you  do  not  instantly 
modify  your  treatment  of  this  gentleman,  and  call  ofif 
this  ragamuffin  crew,  you  shall  be  court-martialled, 
if  I  have  any  influence  with  Dunmore  or  Parker  or 
Lord  Howe,  or  whoever  is  in  authority,  and  I  will 

39 


FOR  LOVE  OF  COUNTRY 

have  the  rest  of  you  hung  as  high  as  Haman.  This 
is  outrage  and  robbery  and  murder ;  it  is  not  fighting 
or  making  prisoners,"  continued  the  young  officer. 
"  You  are  not  fit  to  be  an  officer;  and  you,  you  curs, 
you  disgrace  the  uniform  you  wear." 

Johnson  glanced  at  his  men,  who  stood  irresolute 
before  him  fiercely  muttering.  A  rascally  mob  of  the 
lowest  class  of  people  in  the  colony,  to  whom  war 
simply  meant  opportunity  for  plunder  and  rapine, 
they  would  undoubtedly  back  up  their  leader,  in  their 
present  mood,  in  any  attempt  at  resistance  he  might 
make  the  young  officer.  But  he  hesitated  a  moment. 
Desborough  was  a  lord,  high  in  the  confidence  of 
Governor  Dunmore,  and  a  man  of  great  influence; 
his  own  position  was  too  precarious,  the  game  was 
not  worth  the  candle,  and  the  risk  of  opposition  was 
too  great. 

"  Well,"  he  said  in  sulky  acquiescence,  "  the  men 
meant  no  special  harm,  but  have  it  your  own  way. 
Fall  back,  men !  As  to  what  you  say  to  me  person- 
ally, you  shall  answer  to  me  for  that  at  a  more  fitting 
time,"  he  continued  doggedly. 

"  When  and  where  you  please,"  answered  Des- 
borough, hotly,  "  though  I  'd  soil  a  sword  by  passing 
it  through  you.  What  was  Dunmore  thinking  of  when 
he  put  you  in  charge  of  this  party  and  sent  you  to  do 
this  work,  I  wonder?  Give  your  orders  to  your  men 
to  unhand  this  gentleman  instantly.  You  will  give 
your  parole,  sir?  I  regret  that  we  are  compelled  to 
secure  your  person,  but  those  were  the  orders ;  and 
you,  madam,"  turning  to  Katharine,  "  I  believe  no 
order  requires  you  to  be  taken  prisoner,  and  therefore 
you  shall  go  free." 

40 


A  TIMELY   INTERFERENCE 

But  Katharine  had  knelt  down  by  her  prostrate 
lover  as  soon  as  the  space  in  front  of  her  had  been 
cleared,  and  was  entirely  oblivious  to  all  that  was 
taking  place  about  her. 

"Allow  me  to  introduce  myself,  colonel,"  he  re- 
sumed. "  I  am  Lord  Desborough,  I  have  often  heard 
my  father,  the  Earl  of  Desmond,  in  Ireland,  speak  of 
you.  I  regret  that  we  meet  under  such  unpleasant 
circumstances,  but  the  governor's  orders  must  be 
carried  out,  though  I  wish  he  had  sent  a  more  worthy 
representative  to  do  so.  I  will  see,  however,  that 
everything  is  done  for  your  comfort  in  the  future." 

"  Sir,"  said  the  colonel,  bowing,  "  you  have  ren- 
dered me  a  service  I  can  never  repay.  I  know  your 
father  well.  He  is  one  of  the  finest  gentlemen  of  his 
time,  and  his  son  has  this  day  shown  that  he  is 
worthy  of  the  honored  name  he  bears.  I  will  go  with 
you  cheerfully,  and  you  have  my  parole  of  honor. 
Katharine,  you  are  free ;  you  will  be  safe  in  the  house, 
I  think,  until  I  can  arrange  for  your  departure." 

She  looked  up  from  the  floor,  and  then  rose.  "  Oh, 
father,  he  is  dead,  he  is  dead,"  she  moaned.  "  Yes, 
I  will  go  with  you ;  take  me  away." 

"  Nay,  my  child,  I  cannot." 

"  Enough  of  this  !  "  broke  in  the  sneering  voice  of 
Johnson.  "  She  has  been  taken  in  open  resistance  to 
the  king's  forces,  and,  warrant  or  no  warrant,  orders 
or  no  orders,  or  court-martial  either,"  this  with  a 
malevolent  glance  at  Desborough,  "  she  goes  with  us 
as  a  prisoner." 

"I  will  pledge  my  word.  Colonel  Wilton,  that 
no  violence  is  offered  her,"  exclaimed  Desborough, 
promptly,  and  then,  turning  to  Katharine,  — 

41 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  Trust  me,  madam." 

"  I  do,  sir,"  she  said  faintly,  giving  him  her  hand. 
"  You  are  very  kind." 

**  It  is  nothing,  mistress,"  he  replied,  bowing  low 
over  it,  as  he  raised  it  respectfully  to  his  lips.  "  I  will 
hold  you  safe  with  my  life," 

"  Very  pretty,"  sneered  Johnson ;  "  but  are  you 
coming?  " 

"  What  shall  we  do  with  these  two,  captain  ?  "  asked 
the  sergeant,  kicking  the  prostrate  form  of  Seymour, 
and  pointing  to  the  body  of  the  man  who  had  been 
slain. 

"  Oh,  let  them  lie  there !  We  can't  be  bothered 
with  dead  and  dying  men.  One  of  them  is  gone ;  the 
other  soon  will  be.  The  slaves  will  bury  them,  and 
those  other  three  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  —  d'  ye  hear, 
ye  black  niggers?  There's  hardly  room  enough  on 
the  sloop  for  the  living,"  he  continued  with  cynical 
indifference. 

"  All  right,  captain !  As  you  say,  poor  Joe 's  no 
good  now ;  and  as  for  the  other,  that  crack  of  Welsh's 
was  a  rare  good  one;  he  will  probably  die  before 
morning  anyhow,"  replied  the  sergeant,  there  being 
little  love  lost  among  the  members  of  this  philosophic 
crew ;  besides,  the  more  dead,  the  more  plunder  for 
the  living.  And  many  of  the  band  were  even  now  fol- 
lowing the  example  of  their  leader,  and  roaming  over 
the  house,  securing  at  will  whatever  excited  their 
fancy,  the  wine-cellar  especially  not  being  forgotten. 

"  Oh,  my  God  !  John,"  whispered  Katharine,  fall- 
ing on  her  knees  again  by  his  side,  "  must  I  leave  you 
now,  oh,  my  love !  "  she  moaned,  taking  his  head  in 
her   arms,   and   with   her    handkerchief  wiping  the 

42 


A  TIMELY   INTERFERENCE 

blood  from  off  his  forehead,  "  and  you  have  died  for 
me  —  for  me." 

The  colonel  saw  the  action,  and  knew  now  what 
was  the  subject  of  the  interview  after  supper  which 
Seymour  had  so  much  desired.  He  knelt  down 
beside  his  daughter,  a  great  pity  for  her  in  his  soul, 
and  laid  his  hand  on  the  prostrate  man's  heart. 

"  He  is  not  dead,  Katharine,"  he  whispered.  *'  I 
do  not  even  think  he  will  die ;  he  will  be  all  right  in 
an  hour.  If  we  don't  go  soon,  Katharine,  Philip  and 
Bentley  will  return  and  be  taken  also,"  he  continued 
rapidly.  "  Come,  Katharine,"  he  said  more  loudly, 
rising.  "  Dearest  child,  we  must  go,  —  you  must  bear 
this,  my  daughter;  it  is  for  our  country  we  suffer." 
But  the  talismanic  word  apparently  had  lost  its  charm 
for  her. 

"  What 's  all  this  ?  "  said  Johnson,  roughly ;  "  she 
must  go."  She  only  moaned  and  pressed  her  lover's 
hands  against  her  heart. 

"And  go  now!  Do  you  hear?  Come,  mistress," 
laying  his  hand  roughly  upon  her  shoulder. 

"  Have  a  care,  sir,"  said  Desborough,  warningly. 

"  Keep  to  yourself,  my  dear  sir ;  no  harm  is  done. 
But  we  must  go ;  and  if  she  won't  go  willingly,  she 
will  have  to  be  carried,  that's  all.  Do  you  hear  me? 
Come  on !  " 

"  Come,  Katharine,"  said  the  colonel,  entreatingly. 

"  Oh,  father,  father,  I  cannot  leave  him !  I  love 
him !  " 

"  I  know  you  do,  dear ;  and  worthy  he  is  of  your 
love  too.  Please  God  you  shall  see  him  once  again  ! 
But  now  we  must  go.     Will  you  not  come  with  me?  " 

"  I  cannot,  I  cannot !  "  she  repeated, 
43 


FOR   LOVE    OF   COUNTRY 

"  But  you  must,  Kate,"  said  the  colonel,  lifting  her 
up,  in  deadly  anxiety  to  get  away  before  his  son 
returned.     "  You   are  a  prisoner." 

"  I  can't,  father ;  indeed  I  can't !  "  she  cried  again. 

She  struggled  a  moment,  then  half  fainted  in  his 
arms. 

"  Who  else  is  here?  "  said  Johnson. 

"  Only  the  slaves,"  replied  the  colonel. 

"  Well,  we  don't  want  them.  Move  on,  then ! 
Your  daughter  can  take  her  maid  with  her  if  she 
wishes,"  he  said  with  surly  courtesy.  "  Is  this  the 
wench?  Well,  get  your  mistress  a  cloak,  and  be 
quick  about  it !  " 

Assisted  by  Chloe,  the  maid,  and  Lord  Desborough, 
the  colonel  half  carried,  half  led,  his  daughter  out 
of  the  room. 

"  Seymour,  Seymour !  "  she  cried  despairingly  at 
the  door ;  but  he  lay  still  where  he  had  fallen,  seeing 
and  hearing  nothing. 


44 


CHAPTER  VI 
A  Faithful  Subject  of  his  Majesty 

A  FEW  miles  up  the  river  from  Colonel  Wilton's 
plantation,  upon  a  high  bluff,  from  which,  as  at 
that  point  the  river  made  a  wide  bend,  one  could  see 
up  and  down  for  a  long  distance  in  either  direction, 
was  the  beautiful  home  of  the  Talbots,  known  as 
Fairview  Hall. 

On  the  evening  of  the  raid  at  the  Wilton  place, 
Madam  Talbot  and  her  son  were  having  a  very  im- 
portant conversation.  Madam  Talbot  was  a  widow 
who  had  remained  unwedded  again  from  choice.  Ru- 
mor had  it  that  many  gentlemen  cavaliers  of  the 
neighborhood  had  been  anxious  to  take  to  their  own 
hearthstones  the  person  of  the  fair  young  widow,  so 
early  bereft,  and  incidentally  were  willing  to  assume 
the  responsibility  of  the  management  of  the  magnifi- 
cent estate  which  had  been  left  to  her  by  her  most 
considerate  husband.  Among  the  many  suitors  gos- 
sip held  that  Colonel  Wilton  was  the  chief,  and  it 
was  thought  at  one  time  that  his  chances  of  success 
were  of  the  best;  but  so  far,  at  least,  nothing  had 
come  of  all  the  agitation,  and  Madam  Talbot  lived 
her  life  alone,  managing  her  plantation,  the  object  of 
the  friendly  admiration  of  all  the  old  bachelors  and 
widowers  of  the  neighborhood.  She  had  devoted 
herself  to  the  successful  development  of  her  property 

45 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

with  all  the  energy  and  capacity  of  a  nature  emi- 
nently calculated  for  success,  and  was  now  one  of  the 
richest  women  in  the  colony.  One  son  only  had 
blessed  her  union  with  Henry  Talbot,  and  Hilary 
Talbot  was  a  young  man  just  turned  twenty-five 
years  of  age,  and  the  idol  of  her  soul.  Too  self-con- 
tained and  too  proud  to  display  the  depth  of  her 
feelings,  except  in  rare  instances,  and  too  sensible  to 
allow  them  to  interfere  in  the  training  of  the  child, 
she  had  spared  neither  her  heart  nor  her  purse  in  his 
education,  with  such  happy  results  that  he  was  re- 
garded by  all  who  knew  him  as  one  of  the  finest 
specimens  of  young  Virginia  that  it  were  possible  to 
meet.  Of  medium  height,  active,  handsome,  dark- 
eyed,  dark-haired,  fiery  and  impetuous  in  temper- 
ament, generous  and  frank  in  disposition,  he  was 
a  model  among  men ;  trained  from  his  boyhood  in 
every  manly  sport  and  art,  and  educated  in  the  best 
institutions  of  learning  in  the  colonies,  his  natural 
grace  perfected  by  a  tour  of  two  years  in  England 
and  abroad,  from  which  he  had  only  a  year  or  so 
since  returned,  he  perfectly  represented  all  that  was 
best  in  the  young  manhood  of  Virginia.  For  many 
years  there  had  been  hopes  in  the  minds  of  Colonel 
Wilton  and  Madam  Talbot,  that  the  affection  between 
the  two  young  people,  who  had  played  together  from 
childhood  with  all  the  frankness  and  simplicity  per- 
mitted by  country  life,  would  develop  into  something 
nearer  and  dearer,  and  that  by  their  marriage  at  the 
proper  time  the  two  great  estates  might  be  united. 

The  two  children,  early  informed  of  this  desire, 
had  grown  up  under  the  influence  of  the  idea;  as 
they  reached  years  of  discretion,  they  had  taken  it 

46 


A  FAITHFUL   SUBJECT 

for  granted,  considering  the  arrangement  as  a  fact 
accomplished  by  tacit  understanding  and  habit  rather 
than  by  formal  promise.  Personally  attached  to  each 
other,  nay,  even  fondly  affectionate,  the  indefinite  tie 
seemed  sufficiently  substantial  to  bring  about  the 
desired  result.  Katharine  had,  especially  during 
Talbot's  absence  in  Europe,  resisted  all  the  importu- 
nities and  rejected  all  the  proposals  made  to  her,  and 
on  his  account  refused  all  the  hearts  laid  at  her  feet. 
Since  Talbot's  return,  however,  and  especially  since 
he  refused,  or  hesitated  rather,  to  cast  his  lot  in  with 
her  own  people,  his  neighbors  and  friends,  in  the 
Revolution,  the  affair  had,  on  her  part  at  least,  as- 
sumed a  new  phase.  Still,  there  had  been  nothing 
said  or  done  to  prevent  this  consummation  so  de- 
voutly to  be  wished  until  the  advent  of  Seymour. 
Then,  too,  Talbot,  calm  and  confident  in  the  situa- 
tion, had  not  noticed  Seymour's  infatuation,  and  was 
entirely  ignorant  that  the  coveted  prize  had  slipped 
from  his  grasp.  The  insight  of  the  confident  lover 
was  not  so  keen  as  that  of  the  watchful  father. 

It  was  believed  by  the  principal  men  of  Virginia 
that  Talbot's  sympathies  were  with  the  revolted 
colonies;  but  the  influence  of  his  mother,  to  whom 
he  had  been  accustomed  to  defer,  had  hitherto  proved 
sufficient  to  prevent  him  from  openly  declaring  him- 
self. His  visit  to  England,  and  the  delightful 
reception  he  had  met  with  there,  had  weakened 
somewhat  the  ties  which  bound  him  to  his  native 
country,  and  he  found  himself  in  a  state  of  inde- 
cision as  humiliating  as  it  was  painful.  Lord 
Dunmore  and  Colonel  Wilton  had  each  made  great 
efforts    to   enlist    his   support,    on   account   of    his 

47 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

wealth  and  position  and  high  personal  qualities.  It 
was  hinted  by  one  that  the  ancient  barony  of  the 
Talbots  would  be  revived  by  the  king;  and  the 
gratitude  of  a  free  and  grateful  country,  with  the  con- 
sciousness of  having  materially  aided  in  acquiring 
that  independence  which  should  be  the  birthright 
of  every  Englishman,  was  eloquently  portrayed  by 
the  other.  When  to  the  last  plea  was  added  the 
personal  preference  of  Katharine  Wilton,  the  balance 
was  overcome,  and  the  hopes  of  the  mother  were 
doomed  to  disappointment. 

For  his  own  hopes,  however,  the  decision  had 
come  too  late,  and  it  may  be  safely  presumed  that 
his  hesitation  was  one  of  the  main  causes  through 
which  the  woman  he  loved  escaped  him ;  for  Kath- 
arine's heart  was  given  to  young  Seymour,  after  a 
ten  days'  courtship,  almost  before  his  eyes.  In  any 
event,  a  wiser  man  would  have  seen  in  Seymour 
a  possible,  nay,  a  certain  rival  by  no  means  to  be 
disregarded.  An  officer  who  had  devoted  him- 
self to  the  cause  of  his  country  in  response  to  the 
first  demand  of  the  Congress,  who  had  been  conspic- 
uously mentioned  for  gallantry  in  general  orders 
and  reports,  who  had  been  severely  wounded  while 
protecting  Katharine's  father  at  the  risk  of  his  life; 
as  well  bred  and  as  well  born  as  Talbot,  of  ample 
fortune,  and  with  a  wide  knowledge  of  men  and 
things  acquired  in  his  merchant  voyagings  as  captain 
of  one  of  his  own  ships  in  many  seas,  —  Seymour's 
single-hearted  devotion  eminently  fitted  him  to  woo 
and  win  Miss  Katharine  Wilton,  as  he  had  done. 

Nevertheless,  a  friendship  had  sprung  up  between 
Seymour  and  the  unsuspecting  Talbot  which  bade  fair 

48 


A  FAITHFUL   SUBJECT 

to  ripen  into  intimacy ;  and  it  may  be  supposed  that 
the  stories  of  battles  in  which  the  older  man  had 
participated,  his  attractive  personality,  the  consid- 
eration in  which  the  young  sailor  was  held  by  men 
of  weight  and  position  in  the  colonies,  as  a  man  from 
whom  much  was  to  be  expected,  had  large  influence 
in  determining  Talbot  in  the  course  he  proposed 
taking,  and  which  he  had  not  yet  communicated  to 
his  mother. 

The  evening  repast  had  just  been  finished,  and 
the  mother  and  son  were  walking  slowly  up  and 
down  the  long  porch  overlooking  the  river  in  front 
of  the  house.  There  was  a  curious  and  interesting 
likeness  between  the  two, — a  facial  resemblance 
only,  for  Madam  Talbot  was  a  slender,  rather  frail 
little  woman,  and  looked  smaller  by  contrast  as  she 
walked  by  the  side  of  her  son,  who  had  his  arm 
affectionately  thrown  over  her  shoulder.  She  was  as 
straight,  however,  as  he  was  himself,  in  spite  of 
her  years  and  cares,  and  bore  herself  as  proudly 
erect  as  in  the  days  of  her  youth.  Her  black  eyes 
looked  out  with  undiminished  lustre  from  beneath 
her  snowy-white  hair,  which  needed  no  powder  and 
was  covered  by  the  mob  cap  she  wore.  She  looked 
every  inch  the  lady  of  the  manor,  nor  did  her  actions 
and  words  belie  her  appearance.  The  subject  of  the 
conversation  was  evidently  a  serious  one.  There 
was  a  troubled  expression  upon  her  face,  in  spite  of 
her  self-control,  which  was  in  marked  contrast  to 
the  hesitating  and  somewhat  irresolute  look  upon 
the  handsome  countenance  of  her  son. 

"My  son,  my  son,"  she  said  at  last,  "why  will 
you  persist  in  approaching  me  upon  this  subject? 
4  49 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

You  know  my  opinions.  I  have  not  hesitated  to 
speak  frankly,  and  it  is  not  my  habit  to  change  them ; 
in  this  instance  they  are  as  fixed  and  as  immutable 
as  the  polar  star.  The  traditions  and  customs  of 
four  hundred  years  are  behind  me.  Our  family  — 
you  know  your  father  and  I  were  cousins,  and  are 
descended  from  the  same  stock  —  have  been  called 
the  'loyal  Talbots. '  I  cannot  contemplate  with 
equanimity  the  possibility  even  of  one  of  us  in 
rebellion  against  the  king." 

"  Mother  —  I  am  sorry  —  grieved  —  but  I  must 
tell  you  that  that  is  a  possibility  I  fear  you  must 
learn  to  face.     I  have  —  " 

"Oh,  Hilary,  do  not  tell  me  you  have  finally 
decided  to  join  this  unrighteous  rebellion.  Pause 
before  you  answer,  my  boy  —  I  entreat  you,  and  it 
is  not  my  habit  to  entreat,  as  you  very  well  know. 
See,  you  have  been  the  joy  of  my  heart  all  my  life, 
the  idol  of  my  soul,  —  I  will  confess  it  now,  — and 
for  you  and  your  future  I  have  lived  and  toiled  and 
served  and  loved.  I  have  dreamed  you  great,  high 
in  rank  and  place,  serving  your  king,  winning  back 
the  ancient  position  of  our  family.  I  have  shrunk 
from  no  sacrifice,  nor  would  I  shrink  from  any. 
'T  is  not  that  I  do  not  wish  you  to  risk  your  life  in 
war,  —  I  am  a  daughter  of  my  race,  and  for  cen- 
turies they  have  been  soldiers,  and  what  God  sends 
soldiers  upon  the  field,  that  I  can  abide,  —  but 
that  you  should  go  now,  with  all  your  prospects, 
your  ability,  the  opportunity  presented  you,  and 
engage  yourself  in  this  fatal  cause,  in  this  unholy 
attack  upon  the  king's  majesty,  connect  yourself  with 
this  beggarly  rabble  who  have  been  whipped  and 

SO 


A   FAITHFUL   SUBJECT 

beaten  every  time  they  have  come  in  contact  with 
the  royal  troops,  —  I  cannot  bear  it.  You  are  a  man 
now.  You  have  grown  away  from  your  mother, 
Hilary,  and  I  can  no  longer  command,  I  must  en- 
treat. "  But  she  spoke  very  proudly,  for,  as  she  said, 
entreaty  was  not  so  usual  to  her  as  command. 

"Oh,  mother,  mother,  you  make  it  very  hard  for 
me.  You  know  the  colonists  have  been  badly 
treated,  and  hardly  used  by  king  and  Parliament. 
Our  liberties  have  been  threatened,  nay,  have  been 
abrogated,  our  privileges  destroyed,  none  of  our 
rights  respected,  and  unless  we  are  to  sink  to  the 
level  of  mere  slaves  and  dependants  upon  the  mother 
country,  we  have  no  other  course  but  an  appeal  to 
arms. " 

"I  know,  I  know  all  that,"  she  interrupted  impa- 
tiently, with  a  wave  of  her  hand.  "  I  have  heard  it 
all  a  thousand  times  from  ill-balanced  agitators  and 
popular  orators.  There  may  be  some  truth  in  it,  of 
course,  I  grant  you ;  but  in  my  creed  nothing,  Hilary, 
nothing,  will  justify  a  subject  in  turning  against  his 
king.  The  king  can  do  no  wrong.  All  that  we  have 
is  his;  let  him  take  what  he  will,  so  he  leaves  us 
our  honor,  and  that,  indeed,  no  one  can  take  from 
us.  It  is  the  principle  that  our  ancestors  have 
attested  on  a  hundred  fields  and  in  every  other  way, 
and  will  you  now  be  false  to  it,  my  boy.-"  " 

"  I  must  be  true  to  myself,  mother,  first  of  all,  in 
spite  of  all  the  kings  of  earth ;  and  I  feel  that  duty 
and  honor  call  me  to  the  side  of  my  friends  and 
the  people  of  this  commonwealth.  I  have  hesitated 
long,  mother,  in  deference  to  you,  but  now  I  have 
decided." 

51 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"And  you  turn  against  two  mothers,  Hilary,  when 
you  take  this  course, — old  England,  the  mother 
country,  and  this  one,  this  old  mother,  who  stands 
before  you,  who  has  given  you  her  heart,  who  has 
lived  for  you,  who  lives  in  you  now,  whose  devotion 
to  you  has  never  faltered;  she  now  humbly  asks 
with  outstretched  arms,  the  arms  that  carried  you 
when  you  were  a  baby  boy,  that  you  remain  true  to 
your  king. " 

"Nay,  but,  mamma,"  he  said,  calling  her  by  the 
sweet  name  of  his  boyhood,  taking  her  hand  and 
looking  down  at  her  tenderly  with  tear-dimmed 
eyes  full  of  affection,  "one  must  be  true  to  his 
idea  of  right  and  duty  first  of  all,  even  at  the  price 
of  his  allegiance  to  a  king;  and,  after  all,  what  is 
any  king  beside  you  in  my  heart  ?  But  I  feel  in  honor 
bound  to  go  with  my  people. " 

The  irresolution  was  gone  from  his  expression 
now,  and  the  two  determined  faces  —  one  full  of 
pity,  the  other  of  apprehension  —  confronted  each 
other. 


S« 


CHAPTER    VII 

The  Loyal  Talbots 

"  'VT'OUR  people,  son?  "  she  said  after  a  long  pause. 
1       "  Come  with  me  a  moment."     She  drew  him 
into  the  brilliantly  lighted  hall.     As  they  entered,  he 
said  to  the  servant  in  waiting,  — 

"  See  that  my  bay  horse  is  saddled  and  brought 
around  at  once,  and  do  you  tell  Dick  to  get  another 
horse  ready  and  accompany  me;  he  would  better 
take  the  black  pony." 

"Are  you  going  out,  Hilary?" 

"Yes,  mother,  when  our  conversation  is  over,  if 
there  is  time.  I  thought  to  ride  over  to  Colonel  Wil- 
ton's. The  night  is  pleasant,  and  the  moon  will  rise 
shortly.     What  were  you  about  to  say  to  me?" 

She  led  him  up  to  the  great  open  fireplace,  on  the 
andirons  of  which  a  huge  log  was  blazing  and  crack- 
ling cheerfully.  Over  the  mantel  was  the  picture  of 
a  handsome  man  in  the  uniform  of  a  soldier  of  some 
twenty  years  back. 

"Whose  face  is  pictured  there,  Hilary?" 

"  My  honored  father,"  he  answered  reverently,  but 
in  some  surprise. 

"And  how  died  he?" 

"  On  the  Plains  of  Abraham,  mother,  as  you  well 
know." 

53 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  Fighting  for  his  king?" 

"  Yes,  mother." 

"And  who  is  this  one?"  she  said,  passing  to  an- 
other picture. 

"Sir  James  Talbot;  he  struck  for  his  king  at 
Worcester,"  he  volunteered. 

"Yes,  Hilary;  and  here  is  his  wife,  Lady  Caroline 
Talbot,  my  grandmother.  She  kept  the  door  against 
the  Roundheads  while  the  prince  escaped  from  her 
castle,  to  which  he  had  fled  after  the  battle.  And 
over  there  is  Lord  Cecil  Talbot,  her  father;  he  fell 
at  Naseby.  There  in  that  corner  is  another  James, 
his  brother,  one  of  Prince  Rupert's  men,  wounded  at 
Marston  Moor.  Here  is  Sir  Hilary,  slain  at  the  Boyne ; 
and  this  old  man  is  Lord  Philip,  your  great-uncle. 
He  was  out  in  the  '45,  and  was  beheaded.  These  are 
your  people,  Hilary,"  she  said,  standing  very  straight, 
her  head  thrown  back,  her  eyes  aflame  with  pride 
and  determination,  "  and  these  struck,  fought,  lived, 
and  died  for  their  king.  I  could  bear  to  see  you 
dead,"  she  laid  her  hand  upon  her  heart  in  sudden 
fear  at  the  idea,  in  spite  of  her  brave  words,  "  but  I 
could  not  bear  to  see  you  a  rebel.  Think  again. 
You  will  not  so  decide?  "  She  said  it  bravely;  it  was 
her  final  appeal,  and  as  she  made  it  she  knew  that  it 
was  useless.  The  sceptre  had  departed  out  of  her 
hand. 

He  smiled  sadly  at  her,  but  shook  his  head  omi- 
nously. "  Mother,  do  you  know  these  last  fought 
for  Stuart  pretenders  against  the  house  of  Hanover? 
George  UL,  in  your  creed,  has  no  right  to  the  place 
he  holds.  Do  I  not  then  follow  my  ancestors  in 
taking  the  field  against  him?" 

54 


THE   LOYAL  TALBOTS 

"  Ah,  my  child,  't  is  an  unworthy  subterfuge.  They 
did  fight  for  the  house  of  Stuart,  God  bless  it !  It 
was  king  against  king  then,  and  at  least  they  fought 
for  royalty,  for  a  king ;  but  now  the  house  of  Stuart 
is  gone;  the  new  king  occupies  the  throne  undisputed, 
and  our  allegiance  is  due  to  him.  These  unfortu- 
nate people  who  are  fighting  here  strive  to  create  a 
republic  where  all  men  shall  be  equal !  Said  the 
sainted  martyr  Charles  on  the  scaffold,  *  'T  is  no  con- 
cern of  the  common  people's  how  they  are  governed.' 
A  common  man  equal  to  a  Talbot !  Fight,  my  son, 
if  you  must ;  but  oh,  fight  for  the  king,  even  an  usurper, 
before  a  republic,  a  mob  in  which  so-called  equality 
stands  in  very  unstable  equilibrium,  —  fight  for  the 
rightful  ruler  of  the  land,  not  against  him." 

"  Mother,  if  I  am  to  believe  the  opinions  of  those 
whom  I  have  been  taught  to  respect,  the  rightful 
rulers  of  this  colony,  of  our  country,  of  any  country, 
are  the  people  who  inhabit  it." 

"  And  who  says  that,  pray,  my  boy?" 

"  Mr.  Henry." 

"  And  do  you  mean  to  tell  me,  a  Talbot,  that  you 
have  been  taught  to  look  up  to  men  of  the  social 
stamp  of  Patrick  Henry,  or  to  respect  their  opinions?  " 
she  said  with  ineffable  disdain. 

"  Mother,  the  logic  of  events  has  forced  all  men  to 
do  so.  Had  you  heard  his  speeches  before  the  Bur- 
gesses at  Williamsburg,  you  would  have  thought  that 
he  was  second  to  no  man  in  the  colony,  or  in  the 
world  beside ;  but  if  he  be  not  satisfactory,  there  is 
his  excellency  General  Washington." 

"Mr.  Washington,"  she  replied  with  an  empha- 
sis  on   the   "  Mr."     "  Now  there,  I  grant  you,  is  a 

55 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

man,"  she  said  reluctantly.  "  I  cannot  understand 
the  perversion  of  his  destiny  or  the  folly  of  his 
course." 

"  And,  mother,  you  know  his  family  was  as  loyal 
as  our  own.  One  of  his  forefathers  held  Worcester 
for  King  Charles  with  the  utmost  gallantry  and  reso- 
lution. And  he  had  as  a  companion  in  arms  in  that 
brave  attempt  Sir  George  Talbot,  one  of  our  ances- 
tors. There  is  an  example  for  you.  I  have  often 
heard  you  speak  with  the  greatest  respect  of  George 
Washington." 

"  It  is  true,  my  son,"  she  replied  honestly,  "  but  I 
am  at  a  loss  to  fathom  his  motive.     What  can  it  be?" 

"Mother,  I  am  persuaded  of  the  purity  of  his 
motives ;  his  actions  spring  from  the  very  highest 
sense  of  his  personal  obligation  to  the  cause  of 
liberty." 

"  *  Liberty,  liberty,'  't  is  a  weak  word  when  matched 
with  loyalty.  But  be  this  as  it  may,  my  son,  it  is 
beside  the  question.  Our  family,  these  men  and 
women  who  look  down  upon  us,  all  fought  for  prin- 
ciples of  royalty.  It  makes  no  difference  whether  or 
no  they  fought  for  or  against  one  or  another  king,  so 
long  as  it  was  a  king  they  fought  for.  Such  a  thing 
as  a  democracy  never  entered  their  heads.  And  if 
you  take  this  course,  you  will  be  false  to  every  tradi- 
tion of  our  past.  In  my  opinion,  the  people  are  not 
fit  to  govern,  and  you  will  find  it  so.  In  the  impious 
attempt  that  is  being  made  to  reverse  what  I  con- 
ceive to  be  the  divinely  appointed  polity  and  law  of 
God,  disaster  must  be  the  only  end." 

"  Mother,  I  must  follow  my  convictions  in  the 
present  rather  than  any  examples  in  the  past.     But 

56 


THE   LOYAL  TALBOTS 

this  is  a  painful  discussion.  Should  we  not  best 
end  it?  I  honor  your  opinions,  I  love  you,  but  I 
must  go," 

There  was  a  long  silence.  She  broke  it.  "  Well,  my 
child,"  she  said  in  despair,  "  you  have  reached  man's 
estate,  and  the  men  of  the  Talbot  race  have  ever 
been  accustomed  to  do  as  their  judgment  dictates. 
If  you  have  decided  to  join  Washington's  rabble  and 
take  part  among  the  rebels  in  this  fratricidal  contest, 
I  shall  say  no  more.  I  cannot  further  oppose  you. 
I  cannot  give  you  my  blessing  —  as  I  might  in  hap- 
pier circumstances — nor  can  I  wish  success  to  your 
cause.  I  too  am  a  Talbot,  and  have  my  principles, 
which  I  must  also  maintain ;  but  at  least  I  can  gird 
your  sword  about  you,  and  express  the  hope  and 
make  the  prayer,  as  I  do,  that  you  may  wear  and 
use  it  honorably;  and  that  hope,  if  you  are  true  to 
the  traditions  of  our  house,  will  never  be  broken,  —  I 
feel  sure  of  that,  at  least." 

The  young  man  bent  and  kissed  his  mother,  a  new 
light  shining  in  his  eyes.  "  Mother,  I  thank  you.  At 
least,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I  will  endeavor  to  do 
my  duty  honorably  in  every  field.  And  now  I  think, 
with  your  permission,  I  will  go  over  and  tell  Kath- 
arine that  I  have  at  last  made  up  my  mind  and  cast 
my  lot  in  with  her  —  I  mean  with  our  country,"  he 
said,  blushing,  but  with  the  thoughtless  disregard  of 
youth  as  to  the  meaning  and  effect  of  his  words. 

"  Go,  my  son,  and  God  be  with  you !  "  she  said 
solemnly. 

He  stepped  quickly  out  on  the  porch,  and,  swinging 
into  the  saddle  of  the  horse  which  awaited  him,  with 
the  ease   and  grace  of  an  accomplished  horseman, 

57 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

galloped  off  in  the  moonlight  night  followed  by  the 
groom. 

The  little  old  woman  stood  rigidly  in  the  doorway 
a  moment,  looking  after  her  departed  son,  and  then 
she  walked  quickly  down  to  a  rustic  seat  on  the  brow 
of  the  hill  and  sat  down  heavily,  following  with 
straining  eyes  and  yearning  heart  his  rapidly  dis- 
appearing figure.  The  same  pang  that  every  mother 
must  feel,  those  who  have  a  son  at  least,  once 
in  her  life  if  no  more,  came  to  her  heart;  all 
her  prayers  had  been  unavailing,  her  requests  un- 
heeded, her  pleas  and  wishes  disregarded.  She 
had  an  idea,  not  altogether  warranted  perhaps,  but 
still  she  had  it,  that  the  influence  was  not  so  much 
the  example  of  General  Washington,  nor  the  elo- 
quence of  Patrick  Henry,  nor  the  force  of  neighborly 
example,  nor  rigid  principle,  but  the  influence  of  a 
sunny  head,  and  a  pair  of  youthful  eyes,  and  a  merry 
laugh,  and  a  young  heart,  and  a  pleading  voice. 
These  have  always  stood  in  the  light  of  a  mother 
since  the  world  began,  and  these  have  taken  her  son 
from  her  side.  All  her  hopes  gone,  her  dreams 
shattered,  her  sacrifice  vain,  her  love  wasted,  she 
bowed  her  white  head  upon  her  thin  hands,  and  wept 
quietly  in  the  silent  night.  The  deep  waters  had 
gone  over  her  soul,  and  the  rare  tears  of  the  old 
woman  bespoke  a  breaking  heart. 


58 


CHAPTER   VIII 

An  Untold  Story 

THERE  were  two  roads  which  led  from  Fairview 
Hall  to  the  home  of  the  Wiltons,  —  one  by  the 
river,  and  the  other  over  the  hills  farther  inland. 
Talbot  had  chosen  the  river-road,  and  was  riding  along 
with  a  light  heart,  forgetful  of  his  mother  and  those 
tears  which  indeed  she  would  not  have  shown  him, 
and  full  of  pleasant  anticipations  as  to  the  effect  of 
his  decision  upon  Katharine. 

As  he  rode  along  in  the  moonlight,  his  mind,  full 
of  that  calm  repose  which  comes  to  men  when  they 
have  finally  arrived  at  a  decision  upon  some  point 
which  has  troubled  them,  felt  free  to  range  where  it 
would,  and  naturally  his  thoughts  turned  toward  the 
girl  he  loved.  He  was  getting  along  in  life,  twenty- 
four  his  last  birthday,  while  Katharine  was  several 
years  his  junior.  It  was  time  to  settle  himself;  and 
if  he  must  ride  away  to  the  wars,  it  were  well,  pleasant 
at  least,  to  think  that  he  was  leaving  at  home  a 
wife  over  whom  he  had  thrown  the  protecting  aegis 
of  his  name. 

Katharine  would  be  much  happier,  —  his  thoughts 
dwelt  tenderly  upon  her,  —  and  the  definite  arrange- 
ment would  be  better  than  this  tacit  understanding, 
which  of  course  was  sufficiently  binding ;  though,  now 
he  thought  of  it,  Katharine  had  seemed  a  little  diffi- 

59 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

cult  of  late,  probably  because  of  the  indefinite  char- 
acter of  the  tie.  He  laughed  boyishly  in  pleasure 
at  his  own  thought.  It  was  another  proof  that  she 
loved  him,  that  she  resented  any  assumption  on  his 
part  based  on  hopes  indulged  in  and  plans  formed 
by  her  father  and  his  mother.  He  must  declare 
himself  at  once.  Poor  mother !  it  was  hard  for  her ; 
but  she  would  soon  get  over  all  that,  and  when  he 
came  back  distinguished  and  honored  by  the  people, 
she  would  feel  very  differently.  As  for  the  capricious 
Katharine,  he  would  speak  out  that  very  night,  never 
doubting  the  issue,  and  get  it  done  with.  Of  course, 
that  was  all  that  was  necessary. 

When  she  knew  that  he  was  engaged  heart  and 
soul  in  the  cause  of  the  Revolution,  she  would  be 
ready  to  yield  him  anything.  Not  that  he  had  any 
doubt  of  the  result  of  his  proposal  in  any  case ;  as 
soon  doubt  that  the  nature  and  orderly  sequence  of 
events  should  be  suddenly  and  violently  interrupted, 
as  imagine  that  these  cherished  plans,  in  which 
they  had  both  acquiesced  so  long  ago,  should  fall 
through.  And  so  my  lord  was  prepared  to  drop  the 
handkerchief  at  the  feet  of  my  lady  for  her  to  pick 
up!  It  was  a  time,  however,  he  might  have  remem- 
bered, in  which  the  old  established  order  of  events 
in  other  fields,  which  men  had  long  since  conceived 
of  as  fixed  as  natural  laws,  was  being  rudely  broken 
and  destroyed.  Many  things  which  had  heretofore 
been  habitually  taken  for  granted,  now  were  required 
to  be  proved,  and  Talbot  was  destined  to  meet  the 
fate  of  every  over-confident  lover.  Devotion,  self- 
abnegation,  persistency,  —  these  during  ten  days  had 
held  the  field;  and  the  result  of  the  campaign  had 

60 


AN  UNTOLD  STORY 

been  that  inevitable  one  which  may  always  be  looked 
for  when  the  opposing  forces,  even  after  years  of 
possession,  muster  under  the  banner  of  habit,  assur- 
ance, confidence,  and  neglect. 

So  musing,  the  light-hearted  gentleman  galloped 
along.  The  intervening  distance  was  soon  passed 
over,  and  Talbot  found  himself  entering  the  familiar 
stretch  of  woodland  which  marked  the  beginning  of 
the  colonel's  estate.  Under  the  trees  and  beneath 
the  high  bank  of  the  river  the  shadows  deepened; 
scarcely  any  light  from  the  moon  fell  on  the  road. 
It  was  well,  therefore,  that  our  cavalier  drew  rein, 
and  somewhat  checked  the  pace  of  his  horse,  advanc- 
ing with  some  caution  over  the  familiar  yet  unseen 
road;  for  just  as  he  came  opposite  the  land  end  of 
the  pier  which  led  out  to  the  boat-house,  the  animal 
stopped  with  such  suddenness  that  a  less  practised 
rider  would  have  suffered  a  severe  fall.  The  horse 
snorted  and  trembled  in  terror,  and  began  rearing 
and  backing  away  from  the  spot.  Looking  down  in 
the  darkness,  Talbot  could  barely  discern  a  dark, 
bulky  object  lying  in  the  road. 

"  Here,  Dick ! "  he  called  to  the  groom,  who  had 
stopped  and  reined  in  his  own  horse,  apparently  as 
terrified  as  the  other,  a  few  paces  back  of  his  master; 
and  tossing  his  bridle  rein  toward  him,  "take  my 
horse,  while  I  see  what  stopped  him." 

Lightly  leaping  to  the  ground,  and  stepping  up 
to  the  object  before  him,  he  bent  down  and  laid  his 
hand  upon  it,  and  then  started  back  in  surprise  and 
horror.  "It's  a  man,"  he  exclaimed;  "dead,  yet 
warm  still.  Who  can  it  be  ?  "  The  moonlight  fell 
upon  the  pebbly  beach  of  the  river  a  little  farther 

6i 


FOR  LOVE  OF  COUNTRY 

out;  overcoming  his  reluctance,  he  half  lifted,  half 
carried  the  body  out  where  the  light  would  fall  upon 
its  face.  This  face,  which  was  unknown  to  him,  was 
that  of  a  desperate-looking  ruffian,  who  was  dressed 
in  a  soiled  and  tattered  uniform,  the  coat  of  which 
was  red ;  the  man's  hand  tightly  clasped  a  discharged 
pistol;  he  had  been  shot  in  the  breast,  for  where  his 
coat  had  fallen  open  might  be  seen  a  dark  red  stain 
about  a  ragged  hole  in  his  soiled  gray  shirt;  the 
bullet  had  been  fired  at  short  range,  too,  for  there 
were  powder  marks  all  about  his  breast,  Talbot 
noticed  these  things  rapidly,  his  mind  working 
quickly. 

"Oh,  Mars'  Hil'ry  —  wha-wha 's  de  mattah  .?  I 
kyarnt  hoi'  dese  bosses;  dey 'se  sumfin  wrong, 
sho'ly,"  broke  in  the  groom,  his  teeth  chattering 
with  terror. 

"Quiet,  man!  don't  make  so  much  noise.  This  is 
the  dead  body  of  a  man,  a  soldier;  he  has  been  shot 
too.  Take  the  horses  back  beyond  the  old  tree  on 
the  little  bend  there;  tie  them  securely,  and  come 
back  here  quickly.  Make  no  noise.  Bring  the 
pistols  from  your  holsters." 

As  the  man  turned  to  obey  him,  Talbot  glanced 
about  in  perplexity,  and  his  eyes  fell  upon  a  small 
sloop  rapidly  disappearing  down  the  river,  under 
full  sail  in  the  fresh  breeze  which  had  sprung  up. 
She  was  too  far  away  now  to  make  out  any  details  in 
the  moonlight,  but  the  sight  was  somewhat  unusual 
and  alarming,  he  scarcely  knew  why. 

"I  got  dem  tied  safe.  Mars'  Hil'ry,"  called  out 
the  voice  of  the  boy  from  the  road. 

"  All  right,  Dick !     We  will  leave  this  one  here, 
62 


AN   UNTOLD   STORY 

and  try  to  find  out  what's  wrong;  you  follow  me, 
and  keep  the  pistols  ready." 

"Yes,  Mars',  I  got  dem."  The  man  was  brave 
enough  in  the  presence  of  open  danger;  it  was  only 
the  spiritual  he  feared. 

They  had  scarcely  gone  ten  paces  farther  toward 
the  path,  when,  at  the  foot  of  it,  they  stumbled  over 
another  body. 

"  Here  is  another  one.  What  does  it  mean }  See 
who  it  is,  Dick." 

The  groom,  mastering  his  instinctive  aversion, 
bent  down  obediently,  and  lifting  the  face  peered 
into  it.  It  was  lighter  here,  and  he  recognized  it  at 
once. 

"  Hit 's  Mars'  Blodgett,  de  kunnel's  old  sojuh  man. 
Him  got  a  bullet-hole  in  de  fohaid,  suh;  him  a  dead 
man  sholy,  an'  heah  is  his  gun  by  his  han',"  he 
said  in  an  awestruck  whisper. 

"Blodgett!     Good  God,  it  can't  be." 

"Yes,  suh,  it's  him,  and  dere 's  anoder  one  ober 
dah.  See,  suh ! "  He  laid  his  hand  upon  another 
body,  in  the  same  uniform  as  the  first  one.  This 
man  groaned  slightly. 

"Dis  one's  not  daid  yit,"  said  Dick,  excitedly; 
"he  been  hit  ober  de  haid,  his  face  all  bloody. 
Oh,  Mars'  Hil'ry,  dem  raidahs  you  done  tell  me 
'bout  been  heah.  Mars'  Blodgett  done  shot  dat  one 
by  de  riber  on  de  waf,  an'  den  hit  dis  one  wid  his 
musket,  an'  den  dey  done  shoot  Mars'  Blodgett. 
Oh,  Mars'  Hil'ry,  le'  's  get  out  ob  heah." 

Talbot  saw  it  all  now,  —  the  slow  and  stealthy 
approach  of  the  boat  from  the  little  sloop  out  in  the 
river  (it  had  disappeared  round  the  bend,  he  noticed), 

63 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

Blodgett's  quiet  watch  at  the  foot  of  the  path,  the 
approach  of  the  men,  Blodgett's  challenge,  the  first 
one  shot  dead  as  he  came  up,  the  pistol-shot  which 
missed  him,  the  rush  of  the  men  at  the  indomitable 
old  soldier,  the  nearest  one  struck  down  from  the 
blow  of  the  clubbed  musket  of  the  sturdy  old  man, 
the  second  pistol-shot,  which  hit  him  in  the  fore- 
head, his  fall  across  the  path.  Faithful  unto  death 
at  the  post  of  duty.  The  little  drama  was  perfectly 
plain  to  him.  But  who  were  these  raiders.-*  Who 
could  they  be  ?     And  Katharine } 

"Oh,  my  God,"  he  exclaimed,  stung  into  quick 
action  at  the  thought  of  a  possible  peril  to  his 
love.  "Come,  Dick,  to  the  house;  she  may  be  in 
danger. " 

"But  dis  libe  one.  Mars'  Hil'ry.?  " 

"  Quick,  quick !  leave  him ;  we  will  see  about  him 
later." 

With  no  further  attempt  at  caution,  they  sprang 
recklessly  up  the  steep  path,  and,  gaining  the  brow 
of  the  hill,  ran  at  full  speed  toward  the  house. 
He  noticed  that  there  were  no  lights  in  the  negro 
quarters,  no  sounds  of  the  merry-making  usually 
going  on  there  in  the  early  evening.  Through  the 
open  windows  on  the  side  of  the  house,  he  had  a 
hasty  glimpse  of  the  disordered  dining-room.  The 
great  doors  of  the  hall  were  open.  They  were  on  the 
porch  now,  —  now  at  the  door  of  the  hall.  It  was 
empty.  He  paused  a  second.  "Katharine,  Kath- 
arine ! "  he  called  aloud,  a  note  of  fear  in  his  voice, 
"  where  are  you  ?  Colonel  Wilton !  "  In  the  silence 
which  his  voice  had  broken  he  heard  a  weak  and 
feeble  moan,  which  struck  terror  into  his  heart. 

64 


AN   UNTOLD   STORY 

He  ran  hastily  down  the  hall,  and  stopped  at  the 
dining-room  door  aghast.  The  smoking  candles  in 
the  sconces  were  throwing  a  somewhat  uncertain  light 
over  a  scene  of  devastation  and  ruin ;  the  furniture 
of  the  table  and  the  accessories  of  the  meal  lay  in  a 
broken  heap  at  the  foot  of  it,  the  chairs  were  over- 
turned, the  curtains  torn,  the  great  sideboard  had 
been  swept  bare  of  its  usual  load  of  glittering 
silver. 

At  his  feet  lay  the  body  of  a  man,  in  the  now 
familiar  red  uniform,  blood  from  a  ghastly  sword- 
thrust  clotted  about  his  throat,  the  floor  about  his 
head  being  covered  with  ominous  stains.  A  little 
farther  away  on  the  floor,  near  the  table,  there  was 
the  body  of  another  man,  in  another  uniform,  a 
naked  sword  lying  by  his  side;  he  had  a  frightful- 
looking  wound  on  his  forehead,  and  the  blood  was 
slowly  oozing  out  of  his  coat-sleeve,  staining  the 
lace  at  his  left  wrist.  Even  as  he  looked,  the  man 
turned  a  little  on  the  floor,  and  the  same  low  moan 
broke  from  his  lips.  Talbot  stepped  over  the  first 
body  to  the  side  of  the  other. 

"My  God,  it's  Seymour,"  he  said.  He  knelt 
beside  him,  as  Katharine  had  done.  "Seymour," 
he  called,  "  Seymour !  "  The  man  opened  his  eyes 
slowly,  and  looked  vacantly  at  him. 

"Katharine,"  he  murmured. 

"  What  of  her }  is  she  safe  ?  "  asked  Talbot,  in  an 
agony  of  fear. 

"  Raiders  —  prisoner,"  continued  Seymour,  brok- 
enly, in  a  whisper,  and  then  feebly  murmured, 
"Water,  water!" 

"  Here,  Dick,  get  some  water  quickly !  First  hand 
S  6s 


FOR  LOVE  OF   COUNTRY 

me  that  decanter  of  wine,"  pointing  to  one  which  had 
fortunately  escaped  the  eyes  of  the  marauders.  He 
Hfted  Seymour's  head  gently,  and  with  a  napkin  which 
he  had  picked  up  from  the  floor,  wiped  the  bloody 
face,  washing  it  with  the  water  the  groom  quickly 
brought  from  the  well  outside. 

Then  he  poured  a  little  of  the  wine  down  the 
wounded  man's  throat,  next  slit  the  sleeve  of  his  coat, 
and  saw  that  the  scarcely  healed  wound  in  the  arm 
had  broken  out  again.  He  bandaged  it  up  with  no 
small  skill  with  some  of  the  other  neglected  table 
linen,  and  the  effect  upon  Seymour  of  the  stimulant 
and  of  these  ministrations  was  at  once  apparent. 
With  a  stronger  voice  he  said  slowly,  — 

"  Dunmore's  men  —  Captain  Johnson  —  colonel  a 
prisoner  —  Katharine  also  —  God  grant  —  no  harm 
intended." 

"  Hush,  hush  !  I  understand.  But  where  are  the 
slaves?" 

"  Terrified,  I  suppose  —  in  hiding." 

"  Dick,  see  if  you  can  find  any  of  them.  Hurry  up  ! 
We  must  take  Mr.  Seymour  back  to  Fairview  to- 
night, and  report  this  outrage  to  the  military  com- 
mander at  Alexandria.  Oh  that  I  had  a  boat  and  a 
few  men  !  "  he  murmured.  Katharine  was  gone.  He 
would  not  tell  his  story  to-night ;  she  was  in  the  hands 
of  a  gang  of  ruffians.  He  knew  the  reputation  of  John- 
son, and  the  motives  which  might  actuate  him.  There 
had  been  a  struggle,  it  was  evident;  perhaps  she  had 
been  wounded,  killed.  Agony !  He  knew  now  how 
he  loved  her,  and  it  was  too  late. 

Presently  the  groom  returned,  followed  by  a  mob  of 
frightened,  terror-stricken  negroes  who  had  fled  at  the 

66 


AN   UNTOLD   STORY 

first  advent  of  the  party.  Talbot  issued  his  orders 
rapidly.  "Some  of  you  get  the  carriage  ready;  we 
must  take  Lieutenant  Seymour  to  Fairview  Hall. 
Some  of  you  go  down  to  the  landing  and  bring  up  the 
bodies  of  the  three  men  there.  You  go  with  that 
party,  Dick.  Phoebus,  you  get  this  room  cleared 
up.  Hurry,  stir  yourselves !  You  are  all  right  now; 
the  raiders  have  gone  and  are  not  likely  to  return." 

"  Why,  where  is  Master  Philip,  I  wonder?  Was  he 
also  taken?  "  he  said  suddenly.  "  Have  any  of  you 
seen  him  ?  "  he  asked  of  the  servants. 

"  He  done  gone  away  fishin'  wid  Mars'  Bentley," 
replied  the  old  butler,  pausing;  "and  dey  ain't  got 
back  yit,  tank  de  Lawd ;  but  I  spec  'em  ev'y  minute, 
suh." 


6y 


CHAPTER  IX 

Bentley's  Prayer 

AS  he  spoke,  a  fresh  youthful  voice  was  heard  in 
the  hall.  "Father,  Kate,  where  are  you? 
Come  see  our  string  of —  Why,  what's  all  this?  "said 
a  young  man,  standing  astonished  in  the  door  of  the 
room.  It  was  Philip  Wilton,  holding  a  long  string  of 
fish,  the  result  of  their  day's  sport ;  behind  him  stood 
the  tall  stalwart  figure  of  the  old  sailor.  "  Talbot  — 
you  ?  Where  are  father  and  Kate  ?  What  are  these 
men  doing  in  the  dining-room?  Oh,  what  is  that  ?" 
he  said,  shrinking  back  in  horror  from  the  corpse  of 
the  soldier. 

"Dunmore's  raiders  have  been  here." 

"And  Katharine?" 

"  A  prisoner,  with  your  father,  Philip,  but  I  trust 
both  are  uninjured." 

"  Mr.  Seymour,  sir,  where  is  he  ? "  said  the  deep 
voice  of  the  boatswain,  as  he  advanced  farther  into 
the  room.  The  light  fell  full  upon  him.  He  was  a 
splendid  specimen  of  athletic  manhood  ;  tall,  power- 
ful, long-armed,  slightly  bent  in  the  shoulders ;  deci- 
sion and  courage  were  seen  in  his  bearing,  and  were 
written  on  his  face,  burned  a  dull  mahogany  color  by 
years  of  exposure  to  the  weather.  He  was  clothed  in 
the  open  shirt  and  loose  trousers  of  a  seafaring  man, 
and  he  stood  with  his  feet  slightly  apart,  as  if  balanc- 

68 


BENTLEY'S   PRAYER 

ing  himself  to  the  uneasy  roll  of  a  ship.  Honesty  and 
fidelity  and  intelligence  spoke  out  from  his  eyes,  and 
afifection  and  anxiety  were  heard  in  his  voice. 

"  Lieutenant  Seymour,"  he  repeated,  "  where  is  he, 
sir?" 

"There,"  said  Talbot,  stepping  aside  and  pointing 
to  the  floor. 

"Not  dead,  sir,  is  he?" 

"  Not  yet,  Bentley,"  Seymour,  with  regaining 
strength,  replied ;  "  I  am  not  done  for  this  time." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  John,  Mr.  John,"  said  the  old  man,  ten- 
derly, bending  over  him,  "  I  thank  God  to  see  you 
alive  again.  But,  as  I  live,  they  shall  pay  dear  for 
this  —  whoever  has  done  it,  —  the  bloody,  maraud- 
ing, ruffians!" 

"Yes,  Bentley,  I  join  you  in  that  vow,"  said  Talbot. 

"  And  I  too,"  added  Philip,  bravely. 

"  And  I,"  whispered  the  wounded  man. 

"  It 's  one  more  score  that  has  got  to  be  paid  off 
by  King  George's  men,  one  more  outrage  on  this 
country,  one  more  debt  we  owe  the  English," 
Bentley  continued   fiercely. 

"  No ;  these  were  Americans,  Virginians, —  more 's 
the  shame, —  led  by  that  blackguard  Johnson.  He 
has  long  hated  the  colonel,"  replied  Talbot. 

"  Curses  on  the  renegades !  "  said  the  old  man. 
"  Who  is  it  that  loves  freedom  and  sees  not  that  the 
blow  must  be  struck  to-day?  How  can  any  man  born 
in  this  land  hesitate  to  — "  He  stopped  suddenly, 
as  his  eyes  fell  upon  Talbot,  whose  previous  irresolu- 
tion and  refusal  had  been  no  secret  to  him. 

"  Don't  stop  for  me,  Bentley,"  said  that  young  man, 
gently ;  "  I  am  with  you  now.     I  came  over  this  even- 

69 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

ing  to  tell  our  friends  here  that  I  start  north  to- 
morrow as  a  volunteer  to  offer  my  services  to  General 
Washington." 

"  Oh,  Hilary,"  exclaimed  Philip,  joyfully,  "  I  am  so 
glad.  Would  that  Katharine  and  father  could  hear 
you  now ! " 

Seymour  lifted  his  unwounded  arm,  and  beckoned  to 
Talbot.  "God  bless  you,  Talbot,"  he  said;  "to  hear 
you  say  that  is  worth  a  dozen  cracks  like  this,  and  I 
feel  stronger  every  minute.  If  it  were  not  for  the  old 
wound,  I  would  n't  mind  this  thing  a  bit.  But  there  is 
something  you  must  do.  There  is  an  armed  cutter 
stationed  up  the  river  at  Alexandria ;  send  some  one 
to  notify  the  commander  of  the  Virginia  naval  militia 
there.  They  will  pursue  and  perhaps  recapture  the 
party.  But  the  word  must  be  carried  quickly ;  I  fear 
it  will  be  too  late  as  it  is." 

"  I  will  go,  Hilary,  if  you  think  best." 

"  Very  well,  Philip ;  take  your  best  horse  and  do 
not  delay  a  moment.  Katharine's  liberty,  your 
father's  life  perhaps,  depend  upon  your  promptness. 
Better  see  Mr.  West  as  you  go  through  the  town, — 
your  father's  agent,  you  know,  —  and  ask  him  to  call 
upon  me  to-morrow.  Stop  at  the  Hall  as  you  come 
back." 

"  All  right,  Hilary,  I  will  be  in  Alexandria  in  four 
hours,"  said  Philip,  running  out. 

"  Bentley,  I  am  going  to  take  Lieutenant  Seymour 
over  to  my  plantation.  Will  you  stay  here  and  look 
after  the  house  until  I  can  notify  Colonel  Wilton's 
agent  at  Alexandria  to  come  and  take  charge,  or  until 
we  hear  from  the  colonel  what  is  to  be  done?  You 
can  come  over  in  the  morning,  you  know,  and  hear 

70 


BENTLEY'S   PRAYER 

about  our  protege.  I  am  afraid  the  slaves  would 
never  stay  here  alone ;  they  are  so  disorganized  and 
terrorized  now  over  these  unfortunate  occurrences  as 
to  be  almost  useless." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir ;  if  Lieutenant  Seymour  can  spare  me, 
I  will  stay." 

"  Yes,  Bentley,  do ;  I  shall  be  in  good  hands  at 
Fairview  Hall." 

"  This  is  arranged,  then,"  said  Talbot.  "  It  is  nine 
o'clock.  I  think  we  would  better  start  at  once.  I 
will  go  out  and  see  that  the  arrangements  about  the 
carriage  are  made  properly,  myself,"  he  said,  stepping 
through  the  door. 

Seymour's  hand  had  closed  tightly  over  something 
which  had  happened  to  fall  near  where  it  lay.  *'  Bent- 
ley,"  he  called,  "what  is  this  in  my  hand?" 

"  It  is  a  handkerchief,  Mr.  John, —  a  woman's  hand- 
kerchief too,  sir,  and  covered  with  blood." 

"  Has  it  any  marks  on  it?  "  said  Seymour,  eagerly. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  here  are  the  letters  K.  W.  embroidered 
in  this  corner." 

"  I  thought  so,"  he  smiled  triumphantly.  "  Will 
you  put  it  inside  my  waistcoat,  there,  over  my  heart? 
Yes,"  he  added,  as  if  in  answer  to  the  old  man's 
anxious  look,  "  it  is  true ;  I  love  her,  and  she  has  con- 
fessed that  she  loves  me.  Oh,  who  will  protect  her 
now  ?  " 

"  God,  sir,"  said  Bentley,  solemnly,  but  with  a  strange 
pang  of  almost  womanly  jealousy  in  his  faithful  old 
heart. 

"  Ay,  old  friend.  He  will  watch  over  her.  He  knows 
best.     Now  help  me  up." 

"  No,  sir.  Beg  pardon  for  disobeying  orders,  but 
7« 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

you  are  to  He  still.  We  will  carry  you  to  the  carriage. 
Nay,  sir,  you  must.  You  are  too  weak  from  loss  of 
blood  with  two  wounds  on  you  to  stand  it.  A  few 
days  will  bring  you  about  all  right,  though,  I  hope, 
sir." 

"  All  ready,  Bentley  ?  "  said  Talbot,  coming  into  the 
room.  "  The  negro  boys  have  rigged  up  a  stretcher 
out  of  a  shutter,  and  with  a  mattress  and  blankets  in 
the  carriage,  I  think  we  can  manage,  driving  care- 
fully, to  take  him  over  without  any  great  discomfort. 
I  have  sent  Dick  on  ahead  to  ride  over  to  Dr. 
Craik's  and  bid  him  come  to  the  Hall  at  once;  so 
Mr.  Seymour  will  be  well  looked  after.  By  the  way, 
Blodgett  is  dead.  I  had  almost  forgotten  him.  He 
evidently  met  and  fought  those  fellows  at  the  landing. 
We  found  him  at  the  foot  of  the  steps  by  the  boat- 
landing  with  two  bodies.  That  reminds  me,  one  of 
them  was  alive  when  we  came  by.  I  told  the  men  to 
bring  all  three  of  the  bodies  up.  Here  they  are  now. 
Are  any  of  them  alive  yet,  Csesar }  " 

"No,  suh,  dey'se  all  ob  'em  daid." 

"  Take  the  two  redcoats  into  the  dining-room  with 
the  other  one.  Lay  Blodgett  here  in  the  hall.  He 
must  have  been  killed  instantly.  Well ;  good-by,  I 
shall  be  over  in  the  morning,"  he  exclaimed,  extend- 
ing his  hand. 

"  Good-by,  sir,"  said  the  seaman,  taking  it  in 
his  own  huge  palm.  "  Take  care  of  Lieutenant 
Seymour." 

"  Oh,  never  fear ;  we  will." 

"  And  may  God  give  the  men  who  did  this  into  our 
hands !  "  added  Bentley,  raising  his  arms  solemnly. 

"  Amen,"  said  Talbot,  with  equal  gravity. 
72 


BENTLEY'S   PRAYER 

Seymour  was  tenderly  lifted  into  the  carriage,  and 
attended  by  Talbot,  who  sat  by  his  side.  Followed  by 
two  servants  who  had  orders  to  get  the  horses,  which 
they  found  tied  where  they  had  been  left,  the  carriage 
drove  off  to  the  Hall.  With  what  different  thoughts 
was  the  mind  of  the  young  man  busy !  Scarcely  an 
hour  had  elapsed  since  he  galloped  over  the  road,  a 
light-hearted  boy,  flushed  with  hope,  filled  with  con- 
fidence, delighted  in  his  decision,  anticipating  a  re- 
ception, meditating  words  of  love.  In  that  one  hour 
the  boy  had  changed  from  youth  to  man.  The  love 
which  he  had  hardly  dreamed  was  in  his  heart  had 
risen  like  a  wave  and  overwhelmed  him ;  the  capture 
and  abduction  of  his  sweetheart,  the  whole  brutal  and 
outrageous  proceeding,  had  filled  him  with  burning 
wrath.  He  could  not  wait  to  strike  a  blow  for  liberty 
against  such  tyranny  now,  and  his  soul  was  full  of 
resentment  to  the  mother  he  had  loved  and  honored, 
because  she  had  held  him  back ;  all  of  the  devoted 
past  was  forgotten  in  one  impetuous  desire  of  the 
present  To-morrow  should  see  him  on  the  way  to 
the  army,  he  swore.  He  wrung  his  hands  in  impotent 
passion. 

"  Katharine,  Katharine,  where  are  you  ?  "  he  mur- 
mured. Seymour  stirred.  "Are  you  in  pain,  my 
friend?" 

"  No,"  said  the  sailor  quietly,  his  heart  beating 
against  the  blood-stained  handkerchief,  as  he  echoed 
in  his  soul  the  words  he  had  heard :  "  Katharine, 
Katharine,  where  are  you?  where  are  you?" 


73 


CHAPTER   X 
A  Soldier's  Epitaph 

LEFT  to  himself  in  the  deserted  hall,  the  old  sailor 
walked  over  to  the  body  of  the  old  soldier. 
Many  a  quaint  dispute  these  two  old  men  had  held  in 
their  brief  acquaintance,  and  upon  no  one  thing  had 
they  been  able  to  agree,  except  in  hatred  of  the  Eng- 
lish and  love  of  their  common  country.  Still  their 
disputes  had  been  friendly,  and,  if  they  had  not  loved, 
they  had  at  least  respected  each  other. 

"  I  wish  I  had  not  been  so  hard  on  the  man,  I 
really  liked  him,"  soliloquized  the  sailor.  "  Poor 
Blodgett,  almost  forgotten,  as  Mr.  Talbot  says.  He 
died  the  right  way,  though,  doing  his  duty,  fighting 
for  his  country  and  for  those  he  loved.  Well,  he 
was  a  brave  man  —  for  a  soldier,"  he  murmured 
thoughtfully. 

Out  on  the  river  the  little  sloop  was  speeding  rap- 
idly along.  Ride  as  thou  wilt,  Philip,  she  cannot  be 
overtaken.  Most  of  the  exhausted  men  lay  about  the 
decks  in  drunken  slumber.  Johnson  stood  moodily 
by  the  man  at  the  helm ;  his  triumph  had  been  tem- 
pered by  Desborough's  interference.  Two  or  three 
of  the  more  decent  of  his  followers  were  discussing 
the  events  of  the  night. 

"  Poor  Joe  !  "  said  one. 

74 


A   SOLDIER'S  EPITAPH 

"  Yes,  and  Evans  and  Whitely  too,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Ay,  three  dead,  and  nobody  hurt  for  it,"  an- 
swered the  other. 

"  You  forget  the  old  fellow  at  the  landing,  though." 

"  Yes,  he  fought  like  the  devil,  and  came  near 
balking  the  whole  game.  That  was  a  lucky  shot  you 
got  in,  Davis,  after  Evans  missed  and  was  hit.  That 
fellow  was  a  brave  man— for  a  rebel,"  said  the  raider. 

In  the  cabin  of  the  sloop  Colonel  Wilton  was  sit- 
ting on  one  of  the  lockers,  his  arm  around  Katharine, 
who  was  leaning  against  him,  weeping,  her  hands  be- 
fore her  face.  Desborough  was  standing  respectfully 
in  front  of  them. 

"And  you  say  he  made  a  good  fight?"  asked  the 
colonel,  sadly. 

"  Splendid,  sir.  We  stole  up  to  the  boat-house  with 
muffled  oars,  wishing  to  give  no  warning,  and  before 
he  knew  it  half  of  us  were  on  the  wharf.  He  chal- 
lenged, we  made  a  rush ;  he  shot  the  first  man  in  the 
breast  and  brained  the  next  with  his  clubbed  musket, 
shouting  words  of  warning  the  while.  The  men  fell 
back  and  handled  their  pistols.  I  heard  two  or  three 
shots,  and  then  he  fell,  never  making  another  sound. 
But  for  Johnson's  forethought  in  sending  a  second 
boat  load  to  the  upper  landing  to  get  to  the  back  of 
the  house,  you  might  have  escaped  with  the  warning 
and  the  delay  he  caused.  He  was  a  brave  man,  and 
died  like  a  soldier,"  continued  the  young  man,  softly. 

"  He  saved  my  life  at  Cartagena,  and  when  I  caught 
the*fever  there,  he  nursed  me  at  the  risk  of  his  own. 
He  was  faithfulness  itself.  He  died  as  he  would  have 
liked  to  die,  with  his  face  to  the  enemy.     I  loved  him 

75 


FOR  LOVE   OF  COUNTRY 

in  a  way  you  can  hardly  understand.     Yes,  he  was  a 
brave  man,  —  my  poor  old  friend." 

On  the  rustic  bench  beside  the  driveway  over- 
looking the  river  sat  a  little  woman,  older  by  ten 
years  in  the  two  hours  which  had  elapsed  since  she 
looked  after  the  disappearing  figure  of  her  son. 

She  heard  the  sound  of  wheels  upon  the  gravel 
road,  and  recognized  Colonel  Wilton's  carriage  and 
horses  coming  up  the  hill ;  there  were  her  own  two 
horses  following  after,  but  neither  of  the  riders  was  her 
son.  What  could  have  happened  ?  She  rose  in  alarm. 
The  carriage  stopped  near  her. 

"What,  mother,  are  you  still  here?"  said  Hilary, 
opening  the  door  and  stepping  out,  his  voice  cold 
and  stern. 

"Yes,  my  son;  what  has  happened?" 

"  Dunmore's  men  have  raided  the  Wilton  place. 
Katharine  and  her  father  have  been  carried  away 
by  that  brute  Johnson,  who  commanded  the  party. 
Seymour  has  been  wounded  in  defending  Katharine. 
I  have  brought  him  here.  This  is  the  way,"  he  went 
on  fiercely,  "  his  majesty  the  king  wages  war  on 
his  beloved  subjects  of  Virginia." 

"  '  They  that  take  the  sword,  shall  perish  with  the 
sword,'  "  she  quoted  with  equal  resolution. 

"  And  Blodgett  is  killed  too,"  he  added. 

"  What  else  have  those  who  rebel  against  their 
rightful  monarch  a  right  to  expect?"  she  replied. 
"  Is  Mr.  Seymour  seriously  wounded?  " 

**  No,  madam,"  answered  that  young  man,  from  the 
carriage ;  "  but  I  fear  me  my  cause  makes  me  an 
unwelcome  visitor." 

76 


A   SOLDIER'S   EPITAPH 

**  Nay,  not  so,  sir.  No  wounded  helpless  man 
craving  assistance  can  ever  be  unwelcome  at  my  — 
at  the  home  of  the  Talbots,  whatever  his  creed.  How 
died  Blodgett,  did  you  say,  Hilary?" 

"  Fighting  for  his  master,  at  the  foot  of  the  path, 
shot  by  those  ruffians." 

"  So  may  it  be  to  all  enemies  of  the  king,"  she 
replied ;  "  but  after  all  he  was  a  brave  man.  'T  is  a 
pity  he  fell  in  so  poor  a  cause." 

And  that  was  thy  epitaph,  old  soldier;  that  thy 
requiem,  honest  Blodgett,  —  from  friend  and  foe 
alike,  —  "  He  was  a  brave  man." 


77 


-BoDlr  II 

KNIGHTS   ERRANT   OF   THE   SEA 


79 


CHAPTER  XI 

Captain  John  Paul  Jones 

"  "\ZOU  would  better  spread  a  little  more  canvas,  Mr. 

X  Seymour.  I  think  we  shall  do  better  under 
the  topgallantsails.     We  have  no  time  to  lose." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  the  young  executive  officer; 
and  then  lifting  the  trumpet  to  his  lips,  he  called 
out  with  a  powerful  voice,  "Lay  aloft  and  loose 
the  topgallantsails !  Man  the  topgallant  sheets  and 
halliards !  " 

The  crew,  both  watches  being  on  deck,  were 
busy  with  the  various  duties  rendered  necessary  by 
the  departure  of  a  ship  upon  a  long  cruise,  and 
were  occupied  here  and  there  with  the  different 
details  of  work  to  be  done  when  a  ship  gets  under 
way.  Some  of  them,  their  tasks  accomplished  for 
the  moment,  were  standing  on  the  forecastle,  or 
peering  through  the  gun  ports,  gazing  at  the  city, 
with  the  tall  spire  of  Christ  Church  and  the  more 
substantial  elevation  of  the  building  even  then  be- 
ginning to  be  known  as  Independence  Hall,  rising  in 
the  background  beyond  the  shipping  and  over  the 
other  buildings  which  they  were  so  rapidly  leaving. 
In  an  instant  the  quiet  deck  became  a  scene  of 
quick  activity,  as  the  men  left  their  tasks  and 
sprang  to  their  appointed  stations.  The  long  coils  of 
rope  were  thrown  upon  the  deck  and  seized  b}'  the 
groups  of  seamen  detailed  for  the  purpose;  while 
6  8i 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

the  rigging  shook  under  the  quick  steps  of  the  alert 
topmen  springing  up  the  ratlines,  swarming  over  the 
tops,  and  laying  out  on  the  yards,  without  a  thought 
of  the  giddy  elevation,  in  their  intense  rivalry  each 
to  be  first. 

"The  main  royal  also,  Mr.  Seymour,"  continued 
the  captain.  "I  think  she  will  bear  it;  'tis  a  new 
and  good  stick." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir.     Main  topgallant  yard  there." 

"Sir?" 

"  Aloft,  one  of  you,  and  loose  the  royal  as  well. " 

"Ay,  ay,  sir." 

After  a  few  moments  of  quick  work,  the  officers 
of  the  various  masts  indicated  their  readiness  for 
the  next  order  by  saying,  in  rapid  succession,  — 

"All  ready  the  fore,  sir." 

"All  ready  the  main,  sir." 

"All  ready  the  mizzen,  sir." 

"Handsomely  now,  and  all  together.  I  want 
those  Frenchmen  there  to  see  how  smartly  we  can 
do  this,"  said  the  captain,  in  reply,  addressing  Sey- 
mour in  a  tone  perfectly  audible  over  the  ship. 

"  Let  fall !  Lay  in !  Sheet  home !  Hoist  away ! 
Tend  the  braces  there ! "  shouted  the  first  lieu- 
tenant. 

Amid  the  creaking  of  blocks,  the  straining  of 
cordage,  and  the  lusty  heaving  of  the  men,  with 
the  shrill  pipes  of  the  boatswain  and  his  mates  for 
an  accompaniment,  the  sheets  were  hauled  home  on 
the  yards,  the  yards  rose  on  their  respective  masts, 
and  the  light  sails,  the  braces  being  hauled  taut, 
bellied  out  in  the  strong  breeze,  adding  materially 
to  the  speed  of  the  ship. 

82 


CAPTAIN   JOHN   PAUL  JONES 

"  Lay  down  from  aloft,"  cried  the  lieutenant,  when 
all  was  over. 

"Ay,  that  will  do,"  remarked  the  captain.  "We 
go  better  already.  I  am  most  anxious  to  get  clear 
of  the  Capes  before  nightfall.  Call  the  men  aft, 
and  request  the  officers  to  come  up  on  the  quarter- 
deck.    I  wish  to  speak  to  them. " 

"Ay,  ay,  sir. — Mr.  Wilton,"  said  the  young 
officer,  turning  to  a  young  midshipman,  standing  on 
the  lee-side  of  the  deck,  "step  below  and  ask  the 
officers  there,  and  those  forward,  to  come  on  deck. 
Bentley,"  he  called  to  the  boatswain,  "call  all  hands 
aft." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir." 

Again  the  shrill  whistling  of  the  pipes  was  heard, 
followed  by  the  deep  tones  of  Bentley,  which  rolled 
and  tumbled  along  the  decks  of  the  ship  in  the  usual 
long-drawn  monotonous  cry,  which  could  be  heard, 
above  the  roar  of  the  wind  or  the  rush  of  the  water 
or  the  straining  of  the  timbers,  from  the  truck  to  the 
keelson:  "All  hands  lay  aft,  to  the  quarter-deck." 

The  captain,  standing  upon  the  poop-deck,  was  not, 
at  first  glance,  a  particularly  imposing  figure.  He 
was  small  in  stature,  scarcely  five  and  a  half  feet 
high  at  best,  with  his  natural  height  diminished,  as 
is  often  the  case  with  sailors,  by  a  slight  bending 
of  the  back  and  stooping  of  the  shoulders;  yet  he 
possessed  a  well-knit,  vigorous,  and  not  ungraceful 
figure,  whose  careless  poise,  and  the  ease  with  which 
he  maintained  his  position,  with  his  hands  clasped 
behind  his  back,  in  spite  of  the  rather  heavy  roll 
and  pitch  of  the  ship,  in  the  very  strong  breeze, 
indicated  long  familiarity  with  the  sea. 

83 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

His  naturally  dark  complexion  was  rendered  ex- 
tremely swarthy  by  the  long  exposure  to  weather, 
and  tropic  weather  at  that,  which  he  had  undergone. 
The  expression  of  his  face  was  of  that  abstract  and 
thoughtful,  nay,  even  melancholy,  cast  which  we 
commonly  associate  with  the  student  rather  than  the 
man  of  affairs.  He  was  dressed  in  the  prescribed 
uniform  of  a  captain  of  the  American  navy,  in  the 
Revolutionary  period:  a  dark  blue  cloth  coat  with 
red  lapels,  slashed  cuffs,  and  stand-up  collar,  flat 
gold  buttons  (this  last  a  piece  of  unusual  extrava- 
gance); blue  breeches,  and  a  red  waistcoat  heavily 
laced;  silk  stockings  and  buckled  shoes,  with  a 
curved  cross-hilted  sword  and  cocked  hat,  completed 
his  attire.  As  the  men  came  crowding  aft  to  the 
main  mast,  the  idlers  tumbling  up  through  the 
hatches  in  response  to  the  command,  his  indifferent 
look  gave  way  to  one  of  quick  attention,  and  each 
individual  seaman  seemed  to  be  especially  embraced 
in  the  severe  scrutiny  with  which  he  regarded  the 
mass.  In  truth,  they  were  a  crew  of  which  any 
officer  might  well  be  proud;  somewhat  motley  and 
nondescript  as  to  uniform  and  appearance,  perhaps, 
and  unused  to  the  strict  discipline  of  men-of-war, 
but  hardy,  bold,  resolute  seamen,  with  whom,  prop- 
erly led,  all  things  were  possible,  —  men  who  would 
hesitate  at  nothing  in  the  way  of  attack,  and  who 
were  permeated  with  such  an  intensity  of  hate  for 
England  and  for  British  men-of-war  as  made  them 
the  most  dangerous  foes  that  country  ever  encoun- 
tered on  the  seas.  Several  of  them,  Bentley  among 
the  number,  had  been  pressed,  at  one  time  or 
another,  on  English  war  vessels;  and   one  or  two 

84 


CAPTAIN   JOHN   PAUL  JONES 

had  even  felt  the  lash  upon  their  backs,  and  bore 
shocking  testimony,  in  deep-scarred  wounds,  to  the 
barbaric  method  of  punishment  in  vogue  for  the 
maintenance  of  discipline  in  the  British  navy,  and, 
indeed,  in  all  the  great  navies  of  the  world,  —  a 
practice,  however,  but  little  resorted  to  by  the 
American  navy. 

The  officers,  gathered  in  a  little  knot  on  the  lee 
side  of  the  quarter-deck,  several  midshipmen  among 
them,  were  worthy  of  the  crew  and  the  commander. 

"Men,"  said  the  captain,  in  a  clear,  firm  voice, 
removing  his  cocked  hat  from  his  thick  black  hair, 
tied  in  a  queue  and  entirely  devoid  of  powder,  as 
he  looked  down  at  them  from  the  break  of  the  poop 
with  his  piercing  black  eyes,  "  we  are  bound  for 
English  waters  —  " 

"  Hurrah,  hurrah !  "  cried  many  voices  from  the 
crew,  impetuously. 

"  We  will  show  the  new  flag  for  the  first  time  on 
the  high  seas,"  he  continued,  visibly  pleased,  and 
pointing  proudly  to  the  stars  and  stripes,  which  his 
own  hand  had  first  hoisted,  fluttering  gayly  out  at 
the  peak ;  "  and  I  trust  we  may  strike  a  blow  or  two 
which  will  cause  it,  and  us,  to  be  long  remembered. 
While  you  are  under  my  orders  I  shall  expect  from 
you  prompt,  unquestioned  compliance  with  my  com- 
mands, or  those  of  my  officers,  and  a  ready  submis- 
sion to  the  hard  discipline  of  a  ship-of-war,  to  which 
most  of  you,  I  suspect,  are  unfamiliar,  unless  you 
have  learned  it  in  that  bitter  school,  a  British  ship. 
You  will  learn,  however,  while  principles  of  equality 
are  very  well  in  civil  life,  they  have  no  place  in  the 
naval    service.     Subordination    is  the    word  here; 

85 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

this  is  not  a  trading-vessel,  but  a  ship-of-war,  and 
I  intend  to  be  implicitly  obeyed,"  he  continued 
sternly,  looking  even  more  fiercely  at  them.  "  Never- 
theless," he  added,  somewhat  relaxing  his  set  fea- 
tures, "  although  we  be  not  a  peaceful  merchantman, 
yet  I  expect  and  intend  to  do  a  little  trading  with  the 
ships  of  the  enemy,  and  in  any  prizes  which  we  may 
capture,  you  know  you  will  all  have  a  just,  nay,  a 
liberal,  share.  It  must  not  be  lost  sight  of,  how- 
ever, that  the  first  business  of  this  ship,  as  of  every 
other  ship-of-war  of  our  country,  is  to  fight  the  ships 
of  the  enemy  of  equal,  or  of  not  too  great,  force. 
Should  we  find  such  a  one,  as  is  most  likely,  in  the 
English  Channel,  we  must  remember  that  the  honor 
and  glory  of  our  flag  are  above  prize  money." 

"Three  cheers  for  Captain  John  Paul  Jones ! "  cried 
one  of  the  seamen,  leaping  on  a  gun  and  waving  his 
hat;  they  were  given  with  a  mighty  rush  from  nearly 
two  hundred  lusty  throats,  the  ship  being  heavily 
overmanned  for  future  emergencies. 

"That  will  do,  men,"  said  the  captain,  smiling 
darkly.  "  Remember  that  a  willing  crew  makes  a 
happy  cruise  —  and  don't  wake  the  sleeping  cat!^ 
Mr.  Seymour,  have  the  boatswain  pipe  all  hands  to 
grog,  then  set  the  watches.  Mr.  Talbot,"  he  added, 
turning  to  the  young  ofificer  in  the  familiar  buff  and 
blue  of  the  Continental  army,  who  stood  by  his 
side,  an  interested  and  attentive  spectator  to  all  that 
had  occurred,  "  will  you  do  me  the  honor  of  taking 
a  glass  of  wine  with  me  in  the  cabin.''  —  I  should 
be  glad  if  you  would  join  us  also,  Mr.  Seymour, 
after  the  watch  has  been  called,  and  you  can  leave 
1  The  cat-o'-nine-tails,  used  for  punishment  by  flogging. 
86 


CAPTAIN   JOHN   PAUL  JONES 

the  deck.  Let  Mr.  Wallingford  have  the  watch ;  he 
is  familiar  with  the  bay.  Tell  him  to  take  in  the 
royal  and  the  fore  and  mizzen  topgallantsails  if 
it  blows  heavily,"  he  continued,  after  a  pause,  and 
then,  bowing,  he  left  the  deck. 


87 


CHAPTER   XII 

An  Important  Commission 

MEANWHILE,  interesting  conversations  were 
going  on  forward,  of  which  this  is  a  sample. 

"I  'm  blest  if  I  like  this  orderin'  business,"  said 
one  grizzled  seaman;  "they  said  he  was  h — 1  on 
orders,  but  what  I  shipped  for  was  prize  money  and 
a  chance  to  get  a  lick  at  them  bloody  Britishers; 
not  for  to  clean  brass  work,  an'  scrape  spars,  an' 
flemish  down,  an'  holy-stone  decks,  which  he  won't 
let  us  spit  terbacker  on.  I  don't  call  this  no  fight- 
ing fur  liberty,  not  by  a  durn  sight." 

"Shut  up,  Bill,"  replied  another;  "you've  got  to 
obey  orders.  This  yere  ain't  no  old  tea  wagon,  no 
fishing-boat,  you  old  scowbanker,  it 's  a  wessel-o'- 
war;  and  may  I  never  see  Nantucket  again  if  the 
old  man,"  using  a  merchantman's  expression,  "ain't 
goin'  to  be  captain  of  the  old  hooker  while  he's  in 
it.  And  if  you  call  this  hard  work  and  growl  at  this 
kind  o'  dissyplin'  — well,  all  I  got  ter  say,  you  'd 
oughter  been  on  the  old  Radnor.  Curse  the  British 
devils ! "  he  cried,  grinding  his  heel  in  the  deck. 
"  I  'd  give  twenty  years  of  my  life  to  be  alongside 
her  in  a  ship  half  her  size ;  yes,  even  in  this  one, 
and  I  tell  ye  yon  's  the  man  to  put  her  there,  if  he 
gets  a  chance.     Ain't  that  so,  mates.'" 

88 


AN   IMPORTANT   COMMISSION 

"Ay,  ay,  Jack,  'tis  true,"  came  a  deep-toned 
chorus  of  approval. 

"Besides,"  went  on  the  forecastle  orator,  "we  all 
know'd  wot  kind  of  a  officer  he  is.  Fightin'  and 
prize  money  is  wot  we  all  want;  and  here  's  where 
we  '11  git  it,  you  '11  see,  eh,  mates?  " 

"Ay,  ay;  Jack's  right.  Bill." 

"Then  blow  the  dissyplin',  say  I;  I'll  take 
orders  from  a  man  wot  ain't  afraid  o'  nothin',  wot 
hates  the  red  rag  we  knows  of,  wot  won't  send  me 
where  he  won't  go  himself.  Fightin'  and  prize 
money,  he  's  our  man.  Besides,  wot 's  the  use  o' 
kickin',  we  got  to  do  it ;  we  're  bound  by  them 
articles  of  war  we  signed,"  continued  this  deep-sea 
philosopher.  "  Now,  pass  me  my  can  o'  grog,  Tom, 
I  'm  dry  as  a  cod.  Here  's  to  America,  and  damn  the 
British,  too,"  continued  this  sea  lawyer,  drinking 
his  toast  amid  shouts  of  approval  from  the  men. 

Left  to  himself,  Seymour,  after  the  men  had  re- 
ceived their  grog,  and  other  necessary  duties  had 
been  attended  to,  turned  the  deck  over  to  Lieutenant 
Wallingford,  whose  watch  it  was  with  Philip  Wilton, 
and,  descending  the  poop-deck  ladder,  disappeared 
through  the  same  door  which  had  received  the  two 
officers  into  the  cabin. 

Three  weeks  had  elapsed  since  the  raid  upon  the 
Wilton  place,  and  the  scene  had  shifted  from  Vir- 
ginia to  the  sea,  or  rather  to  the  great  bay  which 
gives  entrance  to  it,  from  the  Delaware  River.  It 
was  a  clear  cold  day  in  the  early  part  of  December, 
and  the  American  Continental  ship  Ranger  had 
just  left  her  moorings  off  Philadelphia,  with  orders 
to  proceed  to  English  waters ;  stopping  at  Brest  to 

89 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

receive  the  orders  of  the  commissioners  in  Paris,  and 
then,  in  case  no  better  ship  could  be  found,  to  ravage 
the  English  Channel  and  coast,  as  a  warning  that 
like  processes,  on  the  part  of  England  on  our  own 
shores,  should  not  go  unpunished. 

John  Paul  Jones,  who  had  already  given  evidence, 
not  only  of  that  desperate  courage  and  unyielding 
tenacity  which  had  marked  him  as  among  the  most 
notable  of  sea  officers  the  world  has  seen,  —  lacking 
nothing  but  opportunity  to  have  equalled,  if  not  sur- 
passed, a  Nelson  —  but  of  consummate  seamanship  and 
great  executive  ability  as  well,  had  been  appointed 
to  command  the  ship.  Before  proceeding  on  the 
mission,  however,  an  important  undertaking  had 
been  allotted  to  him.  The  commissioners  had  sent 
word  from  France,  by  a  fast-sailing  armed  packet, 
of  the  near  departure  of  a  transport  from  England, 
called  the  Mellish,  laden  with  two  thousand  mus- 
kets, twenty  field-pieces,  powder,  and  other  muni- 
tions of  war,  and  ten  thousand  suits  of  winter 
clothes,  destined  for  the  army  that  was  assembling 
at  Halifax  and  Quebec  for  the  invasion  of  the  colo- 
nies, by  way  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River  and  Lake 
Champlain. 

Congress  had  transmitted  the  letter  from  France 
to  Captain  Jones,  with  directions  that  he  endeavor 
to  intercept  and  capture  this  transport.  The  des- 
titution of  the  American  army  at  this  period  of  the 
war  was  frightful :  devoid  of  clothes,  arms,  provisions, 
powder,  —  everything,  in  fact,  which  is  apparently 
vital  to  the  existence  of  an  army ;  continually  beaten, 
menaced  by  a  confident,  well-equipped,  and  disci- 
plined  enemy   in   overwhelming  force,  and   before 

90 


AN   IMPORTANT  COMMISSION 

whom  they  had  been  habitually  retreating,  they 
were  only  held  together  by  the  indomitable  will  and 
heroic  resolution  of  one  man,  George  Washington. 
The  fortunes  of  the  colonies  were  never  at  a  lower 
ebb  than  at  that  moment,  and  there  was  apparently 
nothing  further  to  look  forward  to  but  a  continua- 
tion of  the  disintegration  until  the  end  came.  The 
meagre  resources  of  the  lax  confederacy  were  already 
strained  to  the  utmost,  and  the  capture  of  a  ship 
laden  as  this  one  was  reported  to  be,  would  be  of 
incalculable  service.  Clothes  and  shoes  to  cover 
the  nakedness  of  the  soldiery  and  protect  them  from 
the  inclemency  of  the  winter,  now  fast  approaching, 
and  arms  to  put  in  their  hands,  by  means  of  which 
they  could  assume  the  offensive  and  attack  the 
enemy,  or  at  least  defend  themselves  —  what  more 
could  they  desire !  The  desperate  nature  of  the 
situation,  the  dire  need  of  just  such  additions  to 
the  equipment  of  the  army,  had  been  plainly  com- 
municated to  Captain  Jones,  and  he  was  resolved  to 
effect  the  capture  if  it  were  humanly  possible.  The 
matter  had  also  been  reported  to  General  Washing- 
ton; and  such  was  his  opinion  of  the  necessity  of  a 
prompt  distribution  and  a  speedy  forwarding  of  the 
supplies,  if  they  could  be  secured,  by  the  blessing 
of  Providence,  and  so  little  was  his  faith  in  the 
inefficient  commissariat,  which,  moreover,  had  to 
endeavor  to  keep  the  balance  between  different  colo- 
nies and  different  bodies  of  troops,  more  or  less 
loosely  coherent,  that  he  had  detailed  one  of  his  own 
staff  officers  to  accompany  the  ship,  with  explicit  in- 
structions as  to  the  exact  distribution  and  the  prompt 
forwarding  which  the  needs  of  the  troops  rendered 

91 


FOR  LOVE   OF  COUNTRY 

necessary,  when  the  captured  ship  should  reach  port, 
which  would  probably  be  Boston,  though  circum- 
stances might  render  it  advisable  to  take  the  longer 
journey  to  Philadelphia.  The  officer  to  whom  this 
duty  had  been  allotted  was  Talbot,  of  whose  capacity 
and  energy  General  Washington  already  thought 
highly;  the  three  weeks  of  their  military  associa- 
tion only  confirming  his  previous  opinion.  It  was 
understood  that  Seymour,  who  was  Jones'  first  lieu- 
tenant, and  would  shortly  be  promoted  to  a  cap- 
taincy, would  bring  back  the  transport  if  they  were 
lucky  enough  to  capture  it.  In  case  they  were  un- 
successful, Talbot  was  to  report  himself  to  the 
commissioners  at  Paris  as  military  secretary,  until 
further  orders ;  and  Seymour  was  to  command  the 
Ranger,  when  Jones  should  get  a  better  ship  in 
France. 

The  Ranger  was  a  small  sloop  of  war,  a  corvette 
of  perhaps  five  hundred  tons,  with  a  raised  poop 
and  a  topgallant  forecastle,  built  at  Portsmouth, 
New  Hampshire;  a  new  ship,  and  one  of  the  first  of 
those  built  especially  for  naval  purposes.  She  was 
originally  intended  for  twenty-six  guns,  but  the 
number,  through  the  wisdom  of  her  captain,  who 
had  fathomed  the  qualifications  of  the  ship,  had 
been  reduced  to  eighteen,  four  long  twelves,  and 
the  rest  six  pounders,  and  smaller,  with  one  long 
eighteen  forward.  She  had  been  some  days  in  com- 
mission, and  the  effect  of  Jones'  iron  discipline  was 
already  apparent  in  the  absence  of  confusion  and  in 
the  cleanness  and  order  of  the  ship.  The  vessel  had 
been  very  popular  with  the  good  people  of  Phila- 
delphia, her  commander  and  officers  likewise,  many 

92 


AN   IMPORTANT   COMMISSION 

of  the  latter,  like  Seymour,  being  natives  of  the 
town ;  and  a  constant  stream  of  visitors  had  inspected 
her,  at  all  permitted  hours.  The  presence  of  these 
visitors,  of  course  including  many  ladies,  coupled 
with  an  inherent  vanity  and  love  of  finery  and  neat- 
ness on  the  part  of  the  captain,  —  and,  to  do  him  jus- 
tice, his  appreciation  of  the  necessity  for  order  and 
neatness,  —  had  caused  him  to  maintain  his  ship  in  the 
handsomest  possible  trim,  and  he  had  not  scrupled 
to  employ  his  private  fortune  to  beautify  the  vessel 
in  many  small  ways,  the  details  of  which  would 
have  escaped  any  eye  but  that  of  a  seaman,  though 
the  general  results  were  apparent. 

That  general  appearance  which  should  always  dis- 
tinguish a  trim  and  well-ordered  vessel  of  war  from 
the  clumsy  and  disorderly  trader,  was  due  entirely 
to  his  efforts.  The  crew,  as  we  have  seen,  had 
chafed  under  the  unusual  restraints  of  this  stern  dis- 
cipline; but  they  were  unable,  as,  indeed,  in  the  last 
resort  they  would  have  been  unwilling,  to  oppose  it. 
Some  of  the  older  men,  too,  and  some  of  those  who 
had  sailed  with  Jones  in  his  already  famous  cruises, 
held  out  the  hope  of  large  prize  money,  and,  what 
was  better  with  many  of  them,  the  chance  of  a  blow 
at  the  enemy,  if  any  of  her  cruisers  of  anything  like 
equal  force  appeared,  —  a  chance  sure  to  come  about 
in  the  frequented  waters  of  the  English  Channel. 
The  crew  of  an  American  man-of-war  at  that  period, 
at  least  the  native  portion  of  it,  always  in  over- 
whelming majority,  was  of  much  higher  class  than 
the  general  run  of  seafaring  men.  Among  those 
in  the  Ranger  were  several  who  had  been  mates 
of  merchantmen,  —  Bentley  again  among  the  num- 

93 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

ber,  —  men  of  some  education,  and  able  to  serve 
their  country  as  officers  with  credit,  had  the  navy 
been  increased  as  it  should  have  been,  and  whose 
subordinate  positions  only  indicated  their  intense 
patriotism.  The  low  and  degraded  element  which 
sometimes  is  such  a  source  of  mischief  and  disaster 
in  ships'  crews,  was  conspicuous  by  its  absence. 
The  reputation  of  Captain  Jones  as  a  disciplinarian 
was  very  well  known  among  sailors  generally,  and 
only  his  reputation  as  a  fighter  and  a  successful  prize- 
taker  would  have  enabled  him  to  assemble  the  re- 
markable crew  to  which  he  had  spoken,  and  which 
was  to  back  him  up  so  gallantly  in  many  desperate 
undertakings  and  wonderful  sea  fights,  of  this  and 
his  succeeding  phenomenal  cruise. 

Seymour  had  rapidly  recovered  from  his  wounds 
under  Madam  Talbot's  careful  nursing  and  minis- 
trations, and  when  his  orders  reached  him  he  had 
been  ready,  accompanied  by  Philip  Wilton  and 
Bentley,  to  join  his  ship  at  once. 

He  still  carried  the  blood-stained  handkerchief, 
and  many  and  many  a  time  had  laid  it,  with  its 
initials,  "K.  W.,"  embroidered  by  her  own  hand, 
upon  his  lips.  This  was  not  his  only  treasure,  how- 
ever. In  a  wallet  in  the  breast  pocket  of  his  coat 
he  carried  and  treasured  a  letter,  only  the  veriest 
scrap  of  paper,  with  these  few  lines  hastily  written 
upon  it. 

These  by  a  friendly  hand.  We  are  to  accompany 
Lord  Dunmore  to  England  next  week  as  prisoners  in 
the  ship  Radnor.  Both  well,  but  very  unhappy.  I 
love  you.  Katharine. 

94 


AN   IMPORTANT   COMMISSION 

This  note  had  been  brought  to  him,  the  day  before 
his  departure  from  Fairview  Hall,  by  one  of  the 
slaves  from  the  Wilton  place,  who  had  in  turn  re- 
ceived it  from  a  stranger  who  had  handed  it  to 
him  with  the  orders  that  it  be  given  to  Lieutenant 
Seymour  if  he  were  within  the  neighborhood ;  if  not, 
it  was  to  be  destroyed.  There  was  no  address  on 
the  outside  of  the  letter,  which,  indeed,  was  only  a 
soiled  and  torn  bit  of  paper,  and  unsealed.  Seymour 
had  hitherto  communicated  this  news  to  no  one,  and 
was  hesitating  whether  or  no  to  tell  Talbot,  who  had 
that  day  joined  the  ship. 

Seymour  found  Talbot  and  the  captain  together, 
when,  after  giving  his  name  to  the  negro  boy,  Joe, 
who  waited  in  attendance,  for  Captain  Jones  was 
one  of  the  most  punctilious  of  men,  he  was  ushered 
into  the  captain's  cabin. 

"Come  in,  Seymour,"  said  the  captain,  genially, 
laying  aside  the  formal  address  of  the  quarter-deck. 
"Joe,  a  glass  of  wine  for  Mr.  Seymour.  Has  the 
watch  been  set }  " 

"Yes,  sir,  and  Lieutenant  Wallingford  has  the 
deck." 

"Ah,  that's  well;  he  knows  the  channel  like  a 
pilot.     Sit  down,  man." 

"Thank  you,  captain.  How  do  you  like  your  first 
experience  on  a  ship-of-war,  Talbot  ?  " 

"Very  much,  indeed,"  answered  the  young  officer; 
"and  if  we  shall  only  succeed  in  capturing  the  trans- 
port I  shall  like  it  much  better." 

"Well,  gentlemen,"  said  Captain  Jones,  "I  will 
give  you  a  toast.  Here  's  to  a  successful  cruise, 
many  prizes,  good  chances  at  the  enemy,  and,  of 

95 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

course,  first  of  all,  the  capture  of  the  transport, 
though  that  will  deprive  me  of  the  pleasure  of  your 
society.  I  intend  to  bear  away  to  the  northeast 
immediately  we  pass  the  Capes,  and  I  count  upon 
striking  the  transport  somewhere  off  Halifax.  If 
we  should  succeed  in  capturing  her,  I  am  of  the 
opinion,  if  her  cargo  proves  as  valuable  as  reported, 
that  my  best  course  would  be  to  convoy  her  to  one 
of  our  ports,  or  at  least  so  far  upon  her  way  as  to  in- 
sure her  safe  arrival.  The  cargo  would  be  too 
important  to  be  lost  or  recaptured  under  any  cir- 
cumstances," he  continued  meditatively.  "Well, 
I  think  I  would  better  go  on  deck  for  the  present. 
You  will  excuse  me,  Mr.  Talbot,  I  am  sure.  You 
will  both  dine  with  me  to-night.  Seymour,  a  word 
with  you,"  he  continued,  opening  the  door  and  going 
out,  followed  by  his  executive  officer. 


96 


CHAPTER  XIII 
A   Clever  Stratagem 

SIX  days  out  from  the  Capes  of  Delaware  Bay,  and 
the  Ranger  was  cruising  between  Hahfax  and 
Boston,  about  one  hundred  leagues  east  of  Cape 
Sable.  If  there  be  truth  in  the  maxim  that  a  ship  is 
never  fit  for  action  until  she  has  been  a  week  at  sea, 
the  Ranger  might  be  considered  as  ready  for  any 
emergency  now.  The  crew  had  thoroughly  learned 
their  stations ;  they  and  the  officers  had  become 
acquainted  with  each  other ;  the  possibilities  of  the 
ship  in  different  weather,  and  on  various  points  of 
sailing,  had  been  ascertained.  The  drill  at  quarters 
twice  daily,  and  the  regular  target  practice  with  great 
guns,  and  the  exercises  with  small  arms,  had  materi- 
ally developed  the  offensive  and  defensive  possibili- 
ties of  the  ship. 

The  already  warm  friendship  between  Seymour  and 
Talbot,  now  thrown  into  close  association  by  the  nec- 
essary confinement  of  a  small  ship,  had  grown  into 
an  intimacy,  and  they  held  many  discussions  con- 
cerning their  absent  friends  in  the  long  hours  of  the 
night  watches.  Talbot  had  learned  through  common 
rumor  before  they  sailed,  that  Colonel  Wilton  would 
probably  be  sent  to  England  with  Lord  Dunmore, 
whose  retirement,  under  the  vigorous  policy  pursued 
by  the  Virginians  under  the  leadership  of  Patrick 
7  97 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

Henry,  who  had  been  elected  governor,  was  inevita- 
ble ;  and  he  did  not  doubt  but  that  Katharine  would 
accompany  her  father.  He  had  never  told  Seymour 
of  the  plans  which  had  involved  the  destinies  of 
Katharine  and  himself,  and  something  had  restrained 
him  from  mentioning  either  his  hopes  or  his  affection 
for  her,  though  time  and  absence  had  but  intensified 
his  passion,  until  it  was  the  consuming  idea  of  his  soul. 

This  reserve  was  matched  by  a  similar  reticence 
on  the  part  of  Seymour,  who  had  said  nothing 
of  the  note  he  had  received,  and  had  not  communi- 
cated the  news  of  his  own  successful  suit  to  his 
unsuspecting  rival.  Seymour  had  a  much  clearer 
apprehension  of  the  situation  than  Talbot,  and,  in- 
trenched in  Katharine's  confession,  could  endure  it 
without  disquiet,  magnanimously  saying  nothing 
which  could  disturb  his  less  favored  rival.  The  situ- 
ation, however,  was  clearly  an  impossible  one,  and 
that  there  would  be  a  sudden  break  in  the  friendship, 
when  Talbot  found  out  the  true  state  of  affairs,  he  did 
not  doubt.  This  was  a  grief  to  him,  for  he  really 
liked  the  young  man,  and  would  gladly  have  spared 
his  friend  any  pain,  if  it  were  possible ;  however,  since 
there  was  only  one  Kate  in  the  world,  and  she  was 
his,  he  saw  no  way  out  of  the  difficulty,  and  could 
only  allow  Talbot  to  drift  along  blindly  in  his  fool's 
paradise,  until  his  eyes  were  opened.  Both  the 
young  men  were  favorites  with  Captain  Jones,  and  he 
treated  them  in  a  very  different  manner  from  that  he 
usually  assumed  to  his  subordinates,  for  Jones  was  a 
man  to  be  respected  and  feared  rather  than  loved. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  the  ship  being  under  all 
plain  sail,  on  the  port  tack,  heading  due  west,  the 

98 


A   CLEVER   STRATAGEM 

voice  of  the  lookout  on  the  mainroyal-yard  floated 
down  to  the  deck  in  that  hail  which  is  always  thrilling 
at  sea,  and  was  doubly  so  in  this  instance,  — 

"  Sail  ho  !  " 

Motioning  to  the  officer  of  the  deck,  Jones  himself 
replied  in  his  powerful  voice,  — 

"  Where  away?  " 

"  Broad  off  the  lee-beam,  sir." 

"  Can  you  make  her  out?  " 

"  No,  sir,  not  yet." 

"  Well,  keep  your  eye  lifting,  my  man,  and  sing  out 
when  you  do.  Mr.  Simpson,"  he  said,  turning  to  the 
officer  of  the  deck,  "let  her  go  off  a  couple  of 
points." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir.  Up  with  the  helm,  quartermaster, 
round  in  the  weather-braces,  rise  tacks  and  sheets." 

The  speed  of  the  ship  going  free  was  materially 
increased  at  once,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  lookout 
once  more  hailed  the  deck,  — 

"  I  can  make  her  out  now,  sir." 

"What  is  it?" 

"  A  ship,  sir,  ay,  and  there  is  another  one  with  her, 
and  a  third.  I  can't  tell  what  she  is,  sir.  The  first 
one  looks  like  a  large  ship." 

"  Mr.  Wallingford,  take  the  glass  and  go  up  the 
crosstrees  and  see  what  you  make  of  them,  sir,"  said 
the  captain. 

"  Very  good,  sir,"  replied  the  lieutenant,  springing 
into  the  main  rigging  and  rapidly  ascending  to  the 
crosstrees,  glass  in  hand, 

"  Gentlemen,  we  will  have  a  nearer  look  at  these 
gentry,"  continued  the  captain,  glancing  back  at  the 
officers,  who  had  all  come  up  from  below,  while  the 

99 


.     FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

men,  equally  interested,  were  crowding  on  the  fore- 
castle, and  gazing  eagerly  in  the  direction  of  the 
reported  sails,  which  were  not  yet  visible  from  the 
deck. 

"  On  deck,  there." 

"  Ay,  ay,  what  is  it  ? " 

"  I  can  make  out  five  ships,  and  two  brigs,  and  a 
schooner,  and  some  other  sails  just  rising,  all  close 
hauled  on  the  port  tack.  I  think  there  are  more  of 
them,  sir,  but  I  can't  say  yet.  We  are  rapidly  draw- 
ing down  on  them,  and  shall  be  able  to  make  them 
out  in  a  minute.     I  think  it  is  a  convoy  or  a  fleet." 

"  That  will  do,  Mr.  Wallingford ;  lay  down  on  deck, 
sir;  give  the  glass  to  the  man  on  the  royal-yard, 
though,  before  you  come.     Who  is  he?" 

"  It  is  me,  sir,  Jack  Thompson." 

"Keep  a  bright  lookout  then,  Thompson,  and  if 
yon  's  an  enemy's  fleet  or  convoy,  it  means  a  glass  of 
grog  and  a  guinea  for  you  when  your  watch  is  over." 

"  Thankee,  sir,"  cried  the  delighted  seaman. 

"  Mr.  Wallingford,  could  you  make  anything  out  of 
the  size  of  the  ships  ?  " 

"  One  of  them  I  should  say  was  a  large  ship,  a  frig- 
ate or  ship  of  the  line  possibly,  the  others  were  too 
far  off." 

"  It  can't  be  a  fleet,"  repHed  Captain  Jones ;  "  there 
are  not  so  many  of  the  enemy's  ships  together  in 
these  waters,  if  we  are  correctly  informed.  I  suspect 
it  must  be  a  lot  of  merchantmen  and  transports,  con- 
voyed by  two  or  three  men  of  war.  Now  is  our 
opportunity,  gentlemen,"  he  continued,  his  eyes  spark- 
ling with  delight.  "They  are  apparently  beating  in 
for  Halifax,  and  probably  the  Mellish,  our  transport, 

100 


A   CLEVER  STRATAGEM 

will  be  among  them.  We  will  pay  them  a  visit  to-night 
in  any  event.  I  would  n't  let  them  pass  by  without  a 
bow  or  two,  if  they  were  a  fleet  of  two  deckers  !  " 

Apparently  this  reckless  bravado  entirely  suited 
the  ship's  company,  for  one  of  the  men  who  had 
heard  the  doughty  captain's  speech  called  for  three 
cheers,  which  were  given  with  a  will. 

"  Ay,  that 's  a  fine  hearty  crew,  and  full  of  fight. 
Call  on  all  hands,  Mr.  Simpson." 

This  was  more  or  less  a  perfunctory  order,  since 
every  man  from  the  jack-of-the-dust  to  the  captain 
was  already  on  deck. 

"  Mr.  Seymour,"  said  Jones  to  the  first  lieutenant, 
who  had  taken  the  trumpet  at  the  call  of  all  hands, 
"  we  must  dress  for  the  ball,  and  our  best  disguise  for 
the  present  will  be  that  of  a  merchantman.  I  don't 
suppose  that  the  English  imagine  that  we  have  a 
ship  afloat  in  these  waters,  and  possibly  they  can't 
see  us,  against  this  cloud  bank  in  this  twilight,  as  we 
can  see  them  against  the  setting  sun ;  but  we  will  be 
on  the  safe  side  for  the  few  moments  of  daylight  left 
us.  They  may  be  looking  at  us  over  there,  so  we 
will  hoist  the  English  flag  at  once;  and  as  we  are 
nearing  them  a  little  too  rapidly,  better  brail  up  the 
fore  and  main  sails,  and  take  in  the  royals  and  the 
fore  and  mizzen  topgallantsails  for  the  present,  and 
slack  off  the  running  gear.  Then  beat  to  quarters, 
and  have  the  guns  run  in  and  double  shotted,  close 
the  ports,  and  have  the  arms  distributed;  clear  the 
forecastle  too,  except  of  two  or  three  men,  and  bid 
everybody  observe  the  strictest  quiet,  especially 
when  we  get  in  among  the  convoy,"  he  continued 
rapidly. 

xoi 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  You  can  see  them  now  from  the  deck,  sir,"  said 
Lieutenant  Simpson,  handing  the  glass  to  the  captain. 

"  Ay,  so  you  can,  but  not  well.  Mainroyal  there  ! 
Can  you  make  them  out  any  better?" 

"  Yes,  sir.  There 's  eighteen  sail  of  them ;  one  is  a 
frigate  and  one  looks  like  a  sloop  of  war,  sir ;  the  rest 
is  merchantmen,  some  of  'em  armed." 

"  Very  good.     Have  they  seen  us  yet?  " 

"  Don't  appear  to  take  no  notice  on  us  so  far,  sir." 

"  Come  down  from  aloft  then,  and  get  your  grog 
and  guinea.  Jack;  we  won't  need  you  up  there  any 
more;  it  is  getting  too  dark  to  see  anything  there, 
anyway.  Beat  to  quarters,  Mr.  Seymour.  Ah,  there 
go  the  lights  in  the  convoy." 

For  the  next  few  moments  the  decks  presented  a 
scene  of  wild  confusion,  which  gradually  settled  down 
into  an  orderly  quiet,  the  various  directions  of  the 
captain  were  promptly  carried  out,  and  the  ship  was 
speedily  prepared  for  the  conflict,  though  outwardly 
she  had  lost  her  warlike  appearance,  and  now  re- 
sembled a  peaceful  trader. 

While  the  Ranger  had  been  slowly  drawing  nearer 
to  the  sluggish  fleet  of  merchantmen  and  their  con- 
voy, the  early  twilight  of  the  late  season  faded  away 
and  soon  gave  place  to  darkness ;  the  night  was 
cloudy,  the  sky  being  much  overcast,  and  there  was 
no  moon,  all  of  which  was  well  for  their  present 
purpose. 

The  men  thoroughly  appreciated  the  hazardous 
nature  of  this  advance  upon  the  unsuspecting  fleet, 
protected  by  two  heavy  vessels  of  war,  either  of 
which  was  probably  much  stronger  than  their  own 
ship ;  but  the  very  audacity  and  boldness  with  which 

1 02 


A   CLEVER   STRATAGEM 

the  affair  was  being  carried  out  thoroughly  suited  the 
daring  crew. 

Most  of  them  had  stripped  to  the  waist  in  anticipa- 
tion of  the  coming  conflict,  for  they  felt  confident 
that  the  fleet  would  not  escape  without  a  battle ;  and 
during  the  next  hour  they  clustered  about  the  guns, 
quietly  whispering  among  themselves,  and  eagerly 
waiting  the  events  of  the  night.  The  nervous  strain 
appeared  to  afiect  everybody  except  the  imperturb- 
able captain,  but  the  deep  silence  was  unbroken  save 
by  low-voiced  commands  from  the  first  lieutenant. 
All  sail  had  been  made  as  soon  as  it  had  become 
thoroughly  dark,  the  yards  properly  braced,  and  the 
guns  run  out  again. 


103 


CHAPTER  XIV 

A  Surprise  for  the  Juno 

THE  Ranger,  a  new  and  swift-sailing  ship,  and 
going  free  also,  rapidly  edged  down  upon  the 
slow  moving  convoy  on  the  wind.  The  frigate,  it  was 
noticed,  was  several  miles  ahead  in  the  van ;  the  other 
ships  were  carelessly  strung  out  in  a  long  line,  prob- 
ably not  suspecting  the  existence  of  any  possible 
enemy  in  those  waters.  The  sloop  of  war  appeared 
to  be  among  the  rear  ships,  while  the  nearest  vessel 
to  the  Ranger  was  a  large  schooner,  whose  superior 
sailing  qualities  had  permitted  her  to  reach  several 
miles  to  windward  of  the  square-rigged  ships;  she 
appeared  to  be  light  in  ballast  also.  All  of  the  con- 
voy showed  lights.  The  Ranger,  on  the  contrary, 
was  as  dark  as  the  night,  not  even  the  battle  lanterns 
being  lighted.  She  rapidly  overhauled  the  schooner, 
and  almost  before  her  careless  people  were  aware  of 
it,  she  was  alongside. 

"  Schooner  ahoy !  "  called  out  the  captain  of  the 
ship,  standing  on  the  rail,  trumpet  in  hand. 

"Ahoy,  there!"  came  back  from  the  schooner; 
"what  ship  is  that?" 

"  His  Britannic  majesty's  sloop  of  war  Southamp- 
ton, Captain  Sir  James  Yeo.  I  have  a  message  from 
the  admiral  for  this  convoy,  which  we  have  been 
expecting.     Send  a  boat  aboard.*" 

104 


A   SURPRISE    FOR   THE  JUNO 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir.     Will  you  heave  to  for  us?  " 

"  Yes,  swing  the  main-yard  there,  Mr.  Seymour, 
and  heave  to." 

In  a  few  moments  the  splash  of  oars  was  heard,  and 
a  small  boat  drew  out  of  the  darkness  to  the  star- 
board gangway  of  the  Ranger.  A  man  stood  up  in 
the  stern  sheets,  and  seizing  the  man  ropes  thrown 
to  him  climbed  up  on  the  deck, 

"Ah,  Sir  James,"  he  commenced,  taking  off  his  hat, 
"  how  do  you  do  ?  How  dark  you  are  !  Why,  what 's 
all  this?"  he  exclaimed  in  surprise  and  terror,  as  he 
made  out  the  strange  uniforms  in  the  dim  light.  He 
hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  stepped  back  hastily 
to  the  gangway,  lifting  his  hand. 

"  Seize  him,"  cried  a  stern  voice,  "  shoot  him  if  he 
makes  a  sound." 

The  captain  of  the  unlucky  schooner  was  soon 
dragged,  struggling  and  astonished,  to  the  break  of 
the  poop. 

"  Oh,  Sir  James,  what  is  the  meaning  of  this  out- 
rage, sir,  on  a  British  ship-master?     I  shall  report  —  " 

"  Silence,  sir,  this  is  the  American  Continental  ship 
Ranger,  and  you  are  a  prisoner,"  replied  the  same 
voice.  "  Answer  my  questions  now  at  once ;  your  life 
depends  on  it.     What  are  these  ships  to  leeward  ?  " 

"  Sixteen  merchantmen  from  London,  to  Halifax, 
under  convoy  of  two  men-of-war,  sir." 

"  And  what  are  they?" 

"The  Acasta,  thirty-six,  and  the  Juno,  twenty- 
two,  sir." 

"  Very  good ;  is  the  transport  Mellish  among 
them?" 

The  man  made  no  reply, 
los 


FOR  LOVE  OF  COUNTRY 

"  Answer  me." 

"Ye  — yes,  sir.'* 

"Which  is  she?" 

"  Oh,  sir,  I  can't  tell  you  that,  sir ;  she  is  the  most 
valuable  ship  of  them  all,"  he  said  incautiously. 

"You  have  got  to  tell  me,  my  man,  if  you  ever 
want  to  see  daylight  again  ;  which  is  she?  " 

"  No,  sir,  I  can't  tell  you,"  he  replied  obstinately. 

"  Put  the  muzzle  of  your  pistol  to  his  forehead, 
Williams,  and  if  he  does  not  answer  by  the  time 
I  count  ten,  pull  the  trigger.  One,  two,  three, 
four  —  " 

"  Mercy,  mercy,"  cried  the  frightened  skipper,  as 
he  felt  the  cold  barrel  of  the  pistol  pressed  against 
his  temple. 

"  Eight,  nine  —  "  went  on  the  voice  in  the  dark- 
ness, imperturbably. 

"I'll  tell,  I'll  tell." 

"  Ah,  I  thought  so;  which  one  is  she?" 

"  The  last  one,  sir." 

"  And  the  Juno  ?  " 

"  The  fourth  from  the  rear ;  the  frigate  'sthe  first  one, 
sir,"  he  volunteered.     "Oh,  don't  kill  me,  gentlemen." 

"  Have  you  told  me  the  truth,  sirrah?  Williams, 
keep  your  pistol  there." 

"  Oh,  sir,  yes,  so  help  me ;  oh,  gentlemen,  for 
God's  sake  don't  murder  me.     I've  a  wife  and  —  " 

"  Peace,  you  fool  !  We  won't  hurt  you  if  you  've 
told  the  truth ;  you  shall  even  be  released  presently 
and  have  your  schooner  again  —  we  don't  want  her; 
but  if  you  have  lied  to  me,  you  shall  hang  from  that 
yard-arm  in  the  morning,  as  sure  as  my  name  is  John 
Paul  Jones." 

io6 


A   SURPRISE   FOR  THE   JUNO 

"  O  Lord !  "  said  the  now  thoroughly  frightened 
man,  looking  up  and  meeting  the  gaze  of  two  eyes 
which  gleamed  in  the  dim  light  from  the  deck  above 
him,  "  I  've  told  you  the  truth,  sir." 

"Very  well.  Go  call  your  boat's  crew  on  deck. 
Stand  by  to  capture  them  as  soon  as  they  reach  the 
gangway,  some  of  you,  then  stow  them  all  below ;  let 
their  boat  tow  astern.  And  when  that's  done,  you, 
sir,  hail  your  schooner  and  tell  her  to  heave  to  until 
your  return.  Say  just  what  I  tell  you  to  and  nothing 
more  —  the  pistol  at  your  head  is  loaded  still.  Watch 
him  carefully,  men,  and  then  send  him  below  with  the 
rest.     Fill  away  again,  Mr.  Seymour." 

The  ponderous  yards  were  swung,  and  the  Ranger 
soon  gathered  way  again  and  rapidly  overhauled  the 
last  of  the  fleet.  The  first  trick  had  worked  so  well 
that  it  was  worth  trying  again.  As  soon  as  she  drew 
near  the  doomed  ship,  she  showed  lights  like  those  of 
the  frigate  and  sloop  of  war.  Ranging  alongside  the 
weather  quarter  of  the  transport,  the  captain  again 
hailed,  — 

"  Ship  ahoy !  " 

"  Ahoy,  what  ship  is  that?" 

Again  the  same  deluding  reply, — 

"  His  Britannic  majesty's  sloop  of  war  Southamp- 
ton, Captain  Sir  James  Yeo.     What  ship  is  that?  " 

"  The  transport  Mellish." 

"Very  well,  you  are  the  one  we  want.  I  have  a 
message  for  you.  The  Yankees  are  about,  and  the 
admiral  has  sent  us  to  look  up  the  convoy.  Where 
is  the  Acasta?" 

"  In  the  van,  Sir  James,  about  two  leagues  ahead ; 
the  corvette  is  about  a  mile  forward  there,  sir." 

107 


FOR   LOVE    OF   COUNTRY 

"  Very  good.  Heave  to  and  send  a  boat  aboard 
and  get  your  orders.  Look  sharp  now,  I  must  speak 
the  corvette  and  the  frigate  as  well." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  the  Englishman,  as  his  main- 
yard  was  promptly  swung. 

Immediately  the  Ranger  was  hove  to  as  well,  and 
on  her  weather  side,  which  was  that  away  from  the 
transport,  two  well-manned  boats,  their  crews  heavily 
armed,  one  commanded  by  Seymour,  who  had  Talbot 
with  him,  and  the  other  by  Philip  Wilton,  accom- 
panied by  Bentley,  had  been  silently  lowered  into 
the  water,  and  were  pulling  around  the  Ranger  with 
muffled  oars;  making  a  large  detour  not  only  to 
avoid  the  boat  of  the  captain  of  the  Mellish,  but 
also  to  enable  one  of  them  to  approach  the  unsus- 
pecting ship  on  the  lee  side.  The  night  was  pitch  dark, 
and  the  plan  was  carried  out  exactly  as  anticipated. 
The  utterly  unsuspecting  captain  of  the  Mellish  was 
seized  as  he  came  on  deck  and  nearly  choked  to 
death  before  he  could  make  an  outcry,  then  sent 
below  with  the  rest;  his  boat's  crew  were  tempted  on 
deck  also  by  an  invitation  to  partake  of  unlimited 
grog,  and  treated  in  the  same  way,  and  the  two  boats 
of  the  Ranger  reached  the  Mellish  undiscovered. 
The  watch  on  the  deck  of  the  transport,  diminished 
by  the  absence  of  the  boat's  crew,  were  overwhelmed 
by  the  rush  of  armed  men,  from  both  sides  of  the 
ship,  and  after  a  few  shots  from  two  or  three  men  on 
the  quarter-deck,  some  yelling  and  screaming,  and  a 
brief  scuffle,  in  which  one  man  of  the  Mellish  was 
killed,  the  ship  was  mastered.  The  hatches  were  at 
once  secured,  before  the  watch  below  scarcely  knew 
of  the  occurrence.     A  company  of  soldiers,  about 

io8 


A  SURPRISE   FOR  THE   JUNO 

seventy-five  in  number,  of  the  Seaforth  Highlanders, 
found  themselves  prisoners  ere  they  awakened,  the 
only  resistance  having  come  from  the  mate  and  two 
or  three  of  their  officers,  who  had  not  yet  turned  in. 

"Have  you  got  her,  Mr.  Seymour?"  hailed  the 
Ranger. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"What  is  she?" 

"  She  's  the  Mellish  right  enough,  sir." 

"  Good.     Anybody  hurt?  " 

"  One  of  the  enemy  killed,  sir;  all  of  ours  are  all 
right." 

"What's  her  crew?" 

"  Fifteen  men,  they  say,  and  seventy-five  soldiers. 
We  have  the  hatches  battened  down,  and  I  think 
with  the  men  we  have,  we  can  manage  her  all 
right." 

"  Very  well,  sir.  I  congratulate  you.  I  am  send- 
ing the  second  cutter  off  to  you  with  the  men's 
dunnage  and  your  boxes.  You  have  your  orders. 
Present  my  compliments  to  General  Washington,  with 
that  ship  as  a  Christmas  present,  if  you  bring  her  in. 
God  grant  you  get  in  safely.  Good-by.  Better 
put  out  that  light;  we  will  take  your  place  in  the 
fleet,  and  see  what  happens." 

"  Good-by,  sir,"  cried  the  young  lieutenant ;  "  a 
prosperous  cruise  to  you." 

In  a  moment  the  boat  from  the  Ranger  was 
alongside,  the  bags  and  boxes  were  speedily  shifted, 
and  the  cutter,  with  the  other  two  boats  in  tow, 
dropped  back  to  the  Ranger,  which  by  a  shift  of 
the  helm  had  drawn  much  nearer.  Then  the  Mel- 
lish filled  away,  and  presently  wearing  round  on  her 

109 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

heel  went  ofif  before  the  wind,  and,  all  her  lights  hav- 
ing been  extinguished,  faded  speedily  away  in  the 
darkness.  The  boats  were  hoisted  on  the  Ranger, 
she  braced  up  on  the  port  tack,  and  took  the  place 
vacated  by  the  Mellish.  But  these  things  had  not 
happened  without  attracting  some  attention. 

The  captain  of  the  vessel  next  ahead  of  the  Mel- 
lish had  heard  the  pistol  shots  and  shouting.  Luffing 
up  into  the  wind  to  check  his  own  headway,  he  made 
out  a  second  ship  in  the  darkness  alongside  his  next 
astern.  In  doubt  as  to  what  was  happening,  but  certain 
that  something  was  wrong,  he  acted  promptly,  and 
caused  a  blue  light  to  be  burned  on  his  forecastle ; 
this  was  the  agreed  signal  of  danger,  and  it  immediately 
awakened  the  unsuspecting  fleet  into  action.  Several 
of  the  ships  at  different  intervals  in  the  long  line  re- 
peated the  signal,  which  was  finally  answered  by  the 
frigate,  hull  down  ahead.  The  corvette,  a  half  mile 
away  perhaps,  responded  immediately,  and  wearing 
short  round  came  to  on  the  other  tack,  and  headed 
for  the  last  of  the  line,  beating  to  quarters  the  while. 

A  less  audacious  man  might  have  thought  that  he 
had  done  enough  in  cutting  out  with  so  little  loss  so 
valuable  a  transport  from  under  the  guns  of  two 
ships  of  war,  either  of  greater  force  than  his  own,  and 
therefore  would  have  taken  advantage  of  the  night  to 
effect  his  own  escape.  But  this  would  not  have  suited 
the  daring  nature  of  Captain  Jones,  and  he  resolved  to 
await  the  advent  of  the  sloop  of  war,  trusting  that  the 
advantage  of  a  surprise  might  compensate  for  the 
great  difference  in  the  batteries  of  the  two  ships. 
Besides  the  natural  desire  to  fight  the  enemy,  there 
was  a  method  in  the  apparent  madness.     If  he  could 


A   SURPRISE   FOR   THE  JUNO 

successfully  disable  the  sloop  before  the  arrival  of  the 
frigate,  he  would  ensure  the  escape  of  the  captured 
Mellish,  for  the  sloop  would  be  in  no  condition  to 
pursue,  and  the  frigate  could  not  safely  leave  her  con- 
voy. So  with  rather  a  mixture  of  ideas,  he  trusted  to 
the  God  of  battles  and  the  justice  of  his  cause,  and 
also  to  the  darkness  and  his  own  mother-wit  and 
great  skill  in  seamanship,  to  make  his  own  escape 
after  the  battle,  resolutely  putting  out  of  his  head  the 
fact  that  the  loss  of  a  spar  or  two  would  in  all  proba- 
bility result  in  the  capture  of  his  own  ship.  To  sum 
it  all  up,  Jones  was  not  a  man  to  decline  battle  when 
there  was  the  slightest  prospect  of  success,  and  the 
very  audacity  of  the  present  situation  enchanted  him. 
All  the  lanterns  of  the  Ranger  were  again  extin- 
guished, therefore,  and  the  men  sent  quietly  to  their 
quarters,  with  the  strictest  injunctions  not  to  make  a 
sound  or  fire  a  gun  until  ordered,  under  pain  of 
death.  Every  other  preparation  had  long  since  been 
made  for  action,  so  the  officers  slipped  on  their 
boarding  caps,  loosened  their  swords  in  their  sheaths, 
and  looked  to  the  priming  of  their  pistols ;  then  re- 
ceiving their  final  commands,  departed  quietly  to 
their  several  stations,  —  Simpson,  now  occupying  the 
position  of  first  lieutenant,  vacated  by  Seymour,  hav- 
ing charge  of  the  batteries,  and  Wallingford,  on  deck 
with  the  captain,  in  command  of  the  sail  trimmers, 
who  were  clustered  about  the  masts,  the  sloop  being 
still  heavily  manned. 

"  Man  the  starboard  battery,"  said  the  captain,  in 
a  low  but  distinct  voice ;  "  men,  we  've  got  our  work 
cut  out  for  us  to-night.  No  cheering  until  the  first 
shot   is  fired,  and   no  firing  till   I   give  the   order, 

TIT 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

and  then,  all  together,  give  it  to  them.  Do  you 
understand  ?  " 

A  chorus  of  subdued  "  Ay,  ays  "  indicated  that  the 
orders  were  heard. 

"  Mr.  Wallingford,  do  you  stand  ready  to  back  the 
maintopsail  when  she  is  alongside,  though  if  she 
attempts  to  pass  in  front  of  us  we  '11  up  helm  and  take 
her  on  the  port  side.  Two  of  you  after-guards  go 
below  and  bring  up  the  captain  of  the  Mellish. 
Lively,  we  shall  soon  have  the  sloop  down  on  us." 

In  a  few  moments  the  unfortunate  British  skipper 
was  standing  on  the  poop-deck  beside  Captain  Jones. 

"  Now,  my  man,  you  are  the  master  of  the  Mel- 
lish, are  you  not?" 

"I  was  a  few  moments  ago,"  replied  the  man, 
sullenly. 

"Well,  you  are  to  stand  right  here,  and  answer 
hails  just  as  I  tell  you;  do  you  understand?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Williams,  you  and  another  hold  him,  and  if  he 
hesitates  to  answer,  or  answers  other  than  I  tell  him, 
blow  his  brains  out.  Now  we  have  nothing  to  do  but 
wait.     Keep  her  a  good  full  at  the  helm  there." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  the  veteran  quartermaster, 
stationed  at  the  con.  Meanwhile  the  Juno  had  come 
abeam  of  the  vessel  next  ahead  of  the  Ranger,  and 
the  conversation  which  followed  was  as  plainly  audi- 
ble in  the  latter  ship  as  had  been  the  beating  to 
quarters  just  after  she  wore. 

"  Providence  ahoy  there ! "  came  from  the  Juno. 
"What  is  the  matter?  What  are  you  burning  blue 
lights  for?" 

"  Nothing  is  the  matter  with  us,  sir,  but  we  heard 

112 


A   SURPRISE   FOR  THE  JUNO 

pistol  shots  and  cries  on  the  Mellish  astern,  and 
thought  we  saw  two  ships  instead  of  one.  It 's  so 
beastly  black  to-night  we  couldn't  make  out  any- 
thing very  well." 

"  All  right ;  better  keep  off  a  little,  out  of  the  way. 
I  will  run  down  and  see  what 's  wrong." 

The  present  course  of  the  Juno  would  have  brought 
her  across  the  bows  of  the  Ranger,  but  the  ships  were 
nearing  so  rapidly  that  a  collision  would  have  resulted, 
so  the  Juno  was  kept  away  a  little,  and  soon  ran  down 
on  the  lee  bow  of  the  Ranger.  The  two  ships  were 
thus  placed  side  by  side,  the  Ranger  on  the  port 
tack  having  the  advantage  of  the  weather  gauge  of 
the  Juno,  which  had  the  wind  free,  —  an  advantage  the 
captain  of  the  English  ship  would  never  have  yielded 
without  an  effort,  had  he  imagined  the  character  of 
the  ship  opposite  him.  The  battle  lanterns  of  the 
Juno  were  lighted,  the  ports  triced  up,  and  she  pre- 
sented a  brilliant  picture  of  a  gallant  ship  ready  for 
action.  The  Ranger,  black  as  the  night  and  silent 
as  death,  could  barely  be  discerned  in  dim  outline 
from  the  Juno. 

"Mellish  ahoy." 

"  Ahoy,  the  Juno." 

"What's  wrong  on  board  of  you?" 

"  Nothing,  sir." 

"  Pistol  shots  and  screams  were  heard  by  the  ship 
ahead;  but  who  hails —  where  is  Captain  Brent?  " 

"  Answer  him,"  hissed  Jones,  in  the  ear  of  the 
British  captain ;  "  tell  him  there  were  some  drunken 
soldiers  of  the  Highlanders  in  a  row.  Speak  out, 
man,"  he  continued  threateningly. 

"  Why  don't  you  answer  ?  "  came  from  the  Juno. 
8  113 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"I  shall  send  a  boat  aboard.  Call  away  the  first 
cutter,"  the  voice  continued.  But  the  British  seaman 
on  the  Ranger's  deck  was  made  of  sterner  stuff  than 
the  other.  By  a  violent  and  unexpected  movement 
he  wrenched  his  arm  free  from  the  grasp  of  one  of  the 
men,  struck  the  other  heavily  in  the  chest,  and  before 
any  one  could  seize  him  he  leaped  upon  the  rail, 
shouting  loudly,  "  Treachery !  You  are  betrayed. 
This  is  a  Yankee  pirate."  Then  he  sprang  into  the 
water  between  the  two  ships.  Williams  raised  his 
pistol. 

"  Let  him  go,"  cried  Jones,  "  he  is  a  brave  fellow;  " 
then  lifting  his  powerful  voice  he  shouted,  "  This  is 
the  American  Continental  ship  Ranger,  Stand  by !  " 
—  the  port  shutters  dropped  or  were  pulled  up  with 
a  crash,  a  moment's  hasty  aim  was  taken  at  the  bril- 
liantly lighted  ship  full  abeam.  —  "  Fire !  Let  them 
have  it,  men,"  he  cried  in  a  voice  of  thunder.  Instantly 
the  black  side  of  the  Ranger  gave  forth  a  sheet  of 
flame,  and  the  startling  roar  of  the  full  broadside 
in  the  quiet  night  was  followed  by  shrieks  and  cries 
and  the  crashing  of  woodwork,  which  told  that  the 
shots  had  taken  effect.  Three  hearty  British  cheers 
rang  out,  however,  in  reply,  and  the  broadside  was 
promptly  returned,  but  with  nothing  like  the  effect  of 
that  from  the  Ranger,  for  the  first  blow  counts  for 
as  much  at  sea  as  in  any  other  contest. 

The  next  moment  the  maintopsail  of  the  Juno 
was  gallantly  laid  to  the  mast,  that  of  the  Ranger 
following  suit,  and  the  two  ships,  side  by  side,  at  half 
pistol-shot  distance,  continued  the  dreadful  combat, 
both  crews  being  encouraged  and  stimulated  by  their 
captains  and  other  officers.     A  battle  lantern  or  two, 

114 


A  SURPRISE  FOR  THE  JUNO 

which  had  been  hastily  lighted  here  and  there,  shed  a 
dim  uncertain  light  over  the  decks  of  the  Ranger. 
The  men,  half  naked,  covered  with  sweat  and  dust 
and  powder  stains,  or  splashed  with  blood  from  some 
more  unfortunate  comrade,  some  with  heads  tied  up, 
fighting  though  wounded,  served  the  guns.  Several 
brave  fellows  were  arranged  on  the  weather  side  of 
the  deck,  dead,  their  battles  ended ;  one  or  two  seri- 
ously wounded  men  were  lying  groaning  by  the  hatch- 
way, waiting  their  turn  to  be  carried  below  to  the 
cockpit  to  be  committed  to  the  rough  surgery  of  the 
period,  while  the  fleet-footed  powder  boys  were  run- 
ning to  and  fro  from  the  different  guns  with  their 
charges,  leaping  over  the  wounded  and  dying  with 
indifference.  The  continuous  roar  of  the  artillery,  for 
the  guns  were  served  with  that  steady,  rapid  precision 
for  which  the  American  seamen  soon  became  famous, 
the  crackling  of  musketry,  from  the  men  in  the  tops, 
with  the  yells  and  cheers  and  curses  and  groans  of 
the  maddened  men,  completed  a  scene  which  sug- 
gested a  bit  of  hell. 

"  This  is  warm  work,  Wallingford,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, coolly,  though  his  eyes  were  sparkling  with 
excitement.     "  Do  we  gain  any  advantage  ?  " 

"I  think  so;  their  fire  does  not  seem  to  be  so 
heavy.     Does  it  not  slacken  a  little,  sir?" 

"  Ay,  I  think  so  too.     I  trust  our  sticks  hold." 

"  I  have  not  had  any  serious  damage  reported  so 
far,  sir." 

"  Well,  we  must  end  it  soon,  or  that  frigate  will  be 
down  on  us ;  in  half  an  hour  at  most,  I  should  say. 
Ha!  what  was  that?"  he  said,  as  a  loud  crash  from 
the  Juno  interrupted  him. 

"5 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  Their  maintopmast  's  gone  by  the  board,  hur- 
rah !  "  shouted  Wallingford,  looking  toward  the  ship, 
after  springing  on  the  rail,  from  whence  a  moment 
later  he  fell  back  dead,  with  a  bullet  in  his  breast. 

"  Poor  fellow  !  "  murmured  Jones,  and  then  called 
out,  "  Give  it  to  them,  lads,  they  have  lost  their  main- 
topmast."  A  cheer  was  the  answer.  But  the  matter 
must  be  ended  at  once. 

"Johnson,"  said  Jones,  to  the  young  midshipman 
by  his  side,  "run  forward  and  have  the  main-yard 
hauled ;  give  her  a  good  full,  quartermaster,"  he  said 
to  the  veteran  seaman  at  the  helm,  and  then  watched 
the  water  over  the  side  to  see  when  she  gathered 
headway  through  it.  "  Now !  Hard  up  with  the 
helm !  Flatten  in  the  head  sheets !  Round  in  the 
weather  braces  !     Cease  firing,  and  load  all !  " 

The  ship  gathered  way,  forged  ahead  slowly,  fell  off 
when  the  helm  was  put  up,  and  in  a  trice  was  stand- 
ing across  the  stern  of  the  Juno,  which  endeavored  to 
meet  the  manoeuvre  as  soon  as  it  was  seen;  but, 
owing  to  the  loss  of  the  jib  and  maintopsail  and  the 
fouling  of  the  gear,  she  did  not  answer  the  helm 
rapidly  enough  to  escape  the  threatening  danger. 

"  Stand  by  to  rake  her !  Ready !  Fire !  Stand 
by  to  board  !  " 

The  effect  of  this  raking  broadside  delivered  at 
short  range  was  awful ;  the  whole  stern  of  the  Juno 
was  beaten  in,  and  the  deadly  projectiles  had  free 
range  the  full  length  of  the  devoted  ship,  which  reeled 
and  trembled  under  the  terrible  shock.  A  moment 
of  silence  followed,  broken  by  shrieks  and  groans 
and  a  few  feeble  cheers  from  some  undaunted  spirits. 
Then  the  Ranger,  still  falling  off,  a  rank  sheer  of  the 

ii6 


A   SURPRISE   FOR  THE   JUNO 

helm  brought  her  beam  against  the  stern  of  the  Juno, 
when  eager  hands  hove  the  grapnels  which  bound  the 
two  ships  together. 

"  Away,  boarders  !  " 

Certain  of  the  men  left  their  quarters  at  the  guns, 
and  cutlass  and  pistol  in  hand,  led  by  Jones  himself, 
swarmed  over  the  rail  and  on  the  poop  of  the  Juno. 
Two  or  three  men  were  standing  there  among  the  dead 
and  wounded  men,  half  dazed  by  the  sudden  catas- 
trophe, but  they  bravely  sprang  forward. 

"  Do  you  surrender?  "  cried  Jones. 

"  No,  you  damned  rebel !  "  answered  the  foremost, 
in  the  uniform  of  an  officer,  crossing  swords  with 
him  gallantly;  but  in  a  moment  the  sword  of  the 
impetuous  American  beat  down  his  guard  and  was 
buried  in  his  breast.  With  a  hollow  groan,  he  fell 
dying  on  the  deck  of  the  ship  he  had  so  gallantly  de- 
fended, while  his  men,  borne  back  by  the  determined 
rush  of  the  Rangers,  after  a  feeble  resistance,  threw 
down  their  arms,  crying,  "  Quarter,  quarter !  " 

All  this  time  the  guns  of  that  ship  had  been  firing, 
one  or  two  of  them  depressed  by  Simpson's"  orders  so 
as  to  pierce  the  hull  below  the  water-line,  the  rest 
sending  their  heavy  shot  ripping  and  tearing  through 
the  length  of  the  Juno,  which  was  unable  to  bring  a 
single  gun  to  bear  in  reply. 

"Do  you  strike?"  called  Jones,  from  the  break  of 
the  poop,  his  men  massed  behind  him  for  a  rush 
through  the  gangways,  to  one  or  two  of  the  officers 
who  were  stationed  there, 

"  Yes,  yes,  God  help  us,"  cried  a  wounded  officer ; 
"  what  else  can  we  do  ?  " 

"  Where 's  your  captain?  " 
117 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  Dead,  sir,"  answered  one  of  the  seamen  who  had 
been  seized  by  the  boarders.  "  Him  you  killed  when 
you  boarded." 

"  Poor  fellow,  he  was  a  brave  man,  and  fought  his 
ship  well." 

"  Captain,  the  frigate  is  bearing  down  upon  us !  " 
cried  one  of  the  Ranger's  men. 

"  Ay,  ay.  Well,  gentlemen,  we  cannot  take  posses- 
sion, so  we  will  have  to  leave  you  to  your  consort," 
he  said  to  the  British  officers.  "  Give  the  captain  of 
the  Acasta  the  compliments  of  Captain  John  Paul 
Jones,  of  the  American  Continental  ship  Ranger,  and 
say  that  he  will  find  me  in  the  British  Channel.  Thank 
him  for  our  entertainment  to-night,"  he  said,  bowing 
courteously,  and  then  — "  Back  to  the  ship,  all  you 
Rangers.  —  Let  that  man's  sword  alone,  sirrah  !  He 
used  it  well,  let  it  remain  with  him  on  his  own  ship ; 
but  first  haul  down  and  bring  the  Juno's-flag  with  us." 

The  men  hastily  scrambled  over  the  rails  to  their 
own  ship,  the  grapnels  were  cut  loose,  and  none  too 
soon  the  ship  slowly  gathered  way  and  slipped  by  the 
stern  of  the  Juno,  whose  mizzenmast  fell  a  moment 
after,  and  she  lay  rolling,  a  ghastly  shattered  hulk  on 
the  waters,  fire  breaking  out  forward. 

The  frigate,  coming  down  rapidly  on  the  starboard 
tack,  luffed  up  into  the  wind,  and  fired  a  broadside  at 
the  rapidly  disappearing  Ranger,  which,  however, 
did  no  harm,  and  was  only  answered  by  a  musket- 
shot  in  contempt,  and  then  she  ranged  down  beside 
her  battered  and  shattered  consort.  As  soon  as  she 
reached  the  side  of  the  Juno  she  was  hove  to,  and  a 
boat  was  sent  off  at  once.  An  officer  stepped  on  board. 
He  was  horrified  at  the  scene  of  carnage  which  pre- 

ii8 


A   SURPRISE   FOR   THE  JUNO 

sented  itself.  The  ship  aloft  was  a  wreck,  the  decks 
were  a  perfect  shambles,  wounded  and  dying  men  lay 
around  in  every  position.  The  masts  were  gone,  the 
ship  was  full  of  shot-holes,  the  water  was  rushing  and 
gurgling  in  through  the  shot-holes  below  the  water- 
line,  flames  were  breaking  out  forward. 

"  Where  is  Captain  Burden  ?  "  cried  the  officer. 

"  Dead,"  replied  the  wounded  first  lieutenant,  in 
a  hollow  voice. 

"Did  you  strike?" 

"  Yes." 

"What  was  the  ship  with  which  you  fought  ?" 

"  The  American  ship  Ranger,  Captain  John  Paul 
Jones.  He  says  he  will  see  you  in  the  English 
Channel.  Oh,  God,  Lawless,  isn't  this  awful?  Three- 
fourths  of  ours  are  dead  or  wounded !  The  cursed 
rebel  captured  the  Mellish,  we  ranged  alongside  at 
quarters ;  they  got  in  the  first  broadside ;  the  maintop- 
mast  went,  then  the  jib  ;  they  fell  off,  raked  us  through 
the  stern,  boarded ;  Jones  cut  down  Burden  with  his 
sword ;  we  could  not  get  a  gun  to  bear,  they  were 
pounding  through  us.  We  could  not  keep  the  men  at 
quarters,  we  struck ;  they  took  our  flag  too ;  then  you 
came  down,  and  he  sheered  off;  then  the  mizzen- 
mast  went.     I  expect  the  fore  will  go  next." 

"  What 's  his  force  ?     Was  it  a  frigate  ?  " 

"  I  can  answer  that,"  said  the  brave  master  of  the 
Mellish,  who  had  gained  the  Juno  and  fought  well 
in  the  fight ;   "  she 's  a  sloop  of  eighteen  guns." 

"  Less  than  ours  !  We  have  twenty-two.  Oh,  Law- 
less, what  a  disgrace  !  I  can't  understand  it.  Our  men 
did  well.     And  she  goes  free,  and  look  at  us !  " 

"  Ship  is  making  water  fast ;  we  can't  get  at  the 
119 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

fire  forward  either,  sir,"  reported  one  of  the  Juno's 
officers. 

"  Good  God,  can't  we  save  the  ship  ? "  queried 
Lieutenant  Lawless,  of  the  A  casta. 

*'  No,  it  will  be  as  much  as  we  can  do  to  get  off  the 
wounded,  I  fear." 

"Back,"  cried  Lawless,  turning  to  the  cutter  in 
which  they  had  come,  "  to  the  Acasta,  and  tell  her 
to  send  all  her  boats  alongside ;  this  ship  is  a  perfect 
wreck.  She  must  sink  in  a  few  minutes.  We  have 
hardly  time  to  get  the  wounded  off.  Lively,  bear  a 
hand  for  your  lives,  men." 

However,  in  spite  of  all  that  could  be  done  by  will- 
ing and  able  hands,  some  of  the  helpless  men  were 
still  on  board  when  the  Juno  pitched  forward  suddenly 
and  then  sank  bow  foremost  into  the  dark  waters, 
carrying  many  of  her  gallant  defenders  into  the  deep 
with  her.  Among  them  on  the  quarter-deck  lay  the 
body  of  the  dead  captain,  the  sword  which  the 
magnanimity  of  his  conqueror  had  left  to  him  lying 
by  his  side. 

And  this  is  war  upon  the  sea ! 


1 20 


CHAPTER   XV 
Chased  by  a  Frigate 

THREE  days  after  the  sinking  of  the  Juno,  the 
MelHsh,  which  had  escaped  in  the  dark  without 
pursuit  from  the  fleet,  after  witnessing  the  successful 
termination  of  the  action  between  the  two  sloops  of 
war,  was  heading  about  northwest-by-west  for  Mas- 
sachusetts Bay  and  Boston,  with  single  reefs  in  her 
topsails  and  close  hauled  on  the  starboard  tack.  Sey- 
mour's orders  had  left  him  sufficient  discretion  as  to 
his  destination,  but  Boston  being  the  nearest  harbor 
held  by  the  Americans,  he  had  deemed  it  best  to 
try  to  make  that  port  rather  than  incur  further 
risk  of  recapture  by  making  the  longer  voyage  to 
Philadelphia. 

The  weather  had  turned  cloudy  and  cold ;  there 
was  a  decided  touch  of  winter  in  the  air.  The  men 
were  muffled  up  in  their  pea-jackets,  and  the  little 
squad  of  prisoners,  tramping  up  and  down,  taking 
exercise  and  air  under  a  strong  guard,  looked  decid- 
edly uncomfortable,  not  to  say  disgusted,  with  the 
situation. 

It  had  been  a  matter  of  some  difficulty  to  disarm 
the  prisoners,  especially  the  soldiers,  and  to  feed  and 
properly  exercise  them ;  but  the  end  had  been  suc- 
cessfully arrived  at  through  the  prudence  and  ability 
of   Seymour,  who   was  well  aided    by  Talbot   and 

121 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

Wilton,  and  who  profited  much  by  many  valuable 
suggestions  born  of  the  long  experience  of  the  old 
boatswain. 

On  this  particular  afternoon,  about  ten  days  before 
Christmas,  the  young  captain,  now  confident  of  car- 
rying his  prize  into  the  harbor,  felt  very  much  re- 
lieved and  elated  by  his  apparent  command  of  the 
situation.  He  knew  what  a  godsend  the  ship's 
cargo,  which  he  and  Talbot  had  ascertained  to  be 
even  more  valuable  than  had  been  represented,  would 
be  to  the  American  army.  It  might  be  said  without 
exaggeration,  that  the  success  of  the  great  cause 
depended  upon  the  fortune  of  that  one  little  ship  un- 
der his  command.  Talbot  had  properly  classified 
and  inventoried  the  cargo  according  to  orders,  and 
was  prepared  to  make  immediate  distribution  of  it 
upon  their  arrival  in  port.  Both  of  the  young  men 
were  as  happy  as  larks,  and  even  the  thought  of  their 
captured  friends  did  not  disquiet  them  as  it  might 
under  less  fortunate  circumstances,  for  among  the 
captives  on  the  Mellish  was  a  Colonel  Seaton  of 
the  Highlanders,  whom  they  trusted  to  be  able  to 
exchange  for  Colonel  Wilton,  and  they  did  not  doubt 
in  that  case  that  Katharine  would  return  with  her 
father. 

While  indulging  themselves  in  these  rosy  dreams, 
natural  to  young  men  in  the  elation  of  spirit  conse- 
quent upon  the  events  of  their  short  and  exciting 
cruise,  —  the  capture  and  successful  escape  of  the 
transport,  the  apparent  assurance  of  bringing  her  in, 
and  the  daring  and  brilliant  night-action  which  they 
had  witnessed,  —  they  had  neither  of  them  ventured 
to  touch  upon  the  subject  uppermost  in  each  heart, — 


CHASED   BY  A  FRIGATE 

the  love  each  bore  for  Katharine, — and  the  subject 
still  remained  a  sealed  book  between  them.  The 
cruise  was  not  yet  over,  however,  and  fate  had  in 
store  for  them  several  more  exciting  occurrences  to 
be  faced.  Seymour,  often  accompanied  by  Talbot, 
and  Wilton,  always  accompanied  by  Bentley,  kept 
watch  and  watch  on  the  brief  cruise  of  the  transport. 
On  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day,  about  three  bells 
in  the  afternoon  watch,  or  half  after  one  o'clock,  Sey- 
mour, whose  watch  below  it  was,  was  called  from  the 
cabin  by  old  Bentley,  who  informed  him  that  a  suspi- 
cious sail  had  been  seen  hull  down  to  the  northeast, 
and  Wilton  had  desired  that  his  commanding  officer 
be  informed  of  it.  Seizing  a  glass  and  springing  to 
his  feet,  he  hastened  on  deck. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Wilton,"  he  said  to  that  young  officer, 
proud  of  his  responsibilities,  "  you  keep  a  good  look- 
out.    Where  away  is  the  sail  reported  ?  " 

"  Broad  off  the  weather  bow,  sir,  due  north  of  us. 
You  can't  see  her  from  the  deck  yet,"  replied  Wilton, 
flushing  with  pride  at  the  compliment. 

Seymour  sprang  into  the  main  rigging,  and  rapidly 
ascended  to  the  crosstrees,  glass  in  hand.  There 
he  speedily  made  out  the  topgallantsails  of  a  large 
ship,  having  the  wind  on  the  quarter  apparently,  and 
slowly  coming  into  view.  He  subjected  her  to  a  long 
and  careful  scrutiny,  during  which  the  heads  of  her 
topsails  rose,  confirming  his  first  idea  that  she  was  a 
ship-of-war,  and  if  so,  without  doubt,  one  of  the 
enemy.  She  was  coming  down  steadily ;  and  if  the 
two  vessels  continued  on  their  present  courses  they 
would  pass  each  other  within  gun-shot  distance  in  a 
few  hours,  a  thing  not  to  be  permitted  under  any  cir- 

123 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

cumstances,  if  it  could  be  avoided.  He  continued 
his  inspection  a  moment  longer,  and  then  closing  the 
glass,  descended  to  the  deck  with  all  speed  by  sliding 
down  the  back-stay. 

"  Forward,  there !  "  he  shouted.  "  Call  the  other 
watch,  and  be  quick  about  it !  Philip,  step  below 
and  ask  Mr.  Talbot  to  come  on  deck  at  once.  Bent- 
ley,  that  seems  to  be  a  frigate  or  a  heavy  sloop  going 
free;  she  will  be  down  on  us  in  a  few  hours  if  we 
don't  change  our  course.  Take  a  look  at  her,  man," 
he  said,  handing  him  the  glass,  "  and  let  me  know 
what  you  think  of  her." 

While  the  men  were  coming  on  deck,  Bentley 
leaped  into  the  mizzen  rigging  and  ran  up  the 
shrouds  with  an  agility  surprising  in  one  of  his  gi- 
gantic figure  and  advanced  age.  After  a  rapid  sur- 
vey he  came  down  swiftly.  "  It 's  an  English  frigate, 
and  not  a  doubt  of  it,  sir,  and  rising  very  fast." 

"  I  thought  so.  Man  the  weather  braces !  Up 
with  the  helm !  Bear  a  hand  now,  my  hearties ! 
Now,  then,  all  together  !  Brace  in  !  "  He  himself  set 
a  good  example  to  the  short  crew,  who  hastened  to 
obey  his  rapid  commands,  by  assisting  the  two  sea- 
men stationed  aft  to  brail  in  the  spanker,  in  which 
labor  he  was  speedily  joined  by  Talbot,  who  had 
come  on  deck.  Young  Wilton  and  Bentley  lent  the 
same  assistance  forward,  and  in  an  astonishingly  brief 
time,  considering  her  small  crew,  the  Mellish,  like  the 
stranger,  was  going  free  with  the  wind  on  her  quarter, 
her  best  point  of  sailing,  her  course  now  making 
a  wide  obtuse  angle  with  that  of  the  approaching 
ship. 

"  Now,  then,  men,  lay  aloft,  and  shake  the  reefs 
124 


CHASED   BY  A   FRIGATE 

out  of  the  topsails.  Stand  by  to  loose  the  fore  and 
main  topgallantsails  as  well." 

"Why,  what's  wrong,  Seymour?"  said  Talbot,  in 
surprise.  "  I  rather  expected  we  should  be  in  Mas- 
sachusetts Bay  this  evening,  and  here  we  are,  head- 
ing south  again.  Is  n't  that  Cape  Cod,  —  that  blue 
haze  yonder?  Why  are  we  leaving  it?  What's  the 
matter?" 

"  Take  the  glass,  man ;  there,  aft  on  the  starboard 
quarter,  a  sail !  You  should  be  able  to  see  her  from 
the  deck  now.     Can  you  make  her  out?" 

"  Yes,  by  heaven,  it 's  a  ship,  and  a  large  ship  too ! 
What  is  it,  think  you,  Seymour?  " 

"  An  English  ship,  of  course,  a  frigate;  we  have  no 
ships  like  that  in  these  waters,  or  in  our  navy,  either 

—  more  's  the  pity." 

"  Whew !     This  looks  bad  for  us." 

"  Well,  we  're  not  caught  yet  by  a  long  sight,  Tal- 
bot. A  good  many  leagues  will  have  to  be  sailed 
before  we  are  overhauled,  and  there  's  many  a  slip 
'twixt  the  cup  and  the  lip,  you  know ;  that  old  stale 
maxim  is  truer  on  the  sea  than  any  place  else,  and 
truer  in  a  chase,  too ;  a  thousand  things  may  help  us 
or  hinder  her.  See,  we  are  going  better  now  that 
the  reefs  are  out  and  the  topgallantsails  set.  But 
it's  a  fearful  strain  on  our  spars.     They  look  new 

—  pray  God  they  be  good  ones,"  he  continued, 
gazing  over  the  side  at  the  masses  of  green  water 
tossed  aside  from  the  bows  and  sweeping  aft  under 
the  counter  in  great  swirls. 

The  spars  and  rigging  of  the  Mellish  were  indeed 
fearfully  tested,  the  masts  buckling  and  bending  like 
a  strained  bow.     The  wind  was  freshening  every  mo- 

"5 


-  FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

ment,  and  there  was  the  promise  of  a  gale  in  the  low 
ering  sky  of  the  gray  afternoon.  The  ship  felt  the 
increased  pressure  from  the  additional  sail  which  had 
been  made,  and  her  speed  had  materially  increased, 
though  she  rolled  and  pitched  frightfully,  wallowing 
through  the  water  and  smashing  into  the  waves  with 
her  broad,  fat  bows,  and  making  rather  heavy  weather 
of  it.  In  spite  of  all  this,  however,  the  chase  gained 
slowly  upon  them,  until  she  was  now  visible  to  the 
naked  eye  from  the  decks  of  the  Mellish.  Sey- 
mour, full  of  anxiety,  tried  every  expedient  that  his 
thorough  seamanship  and  long  experience  could  dic- 
tate to  accelerate  the  speed  of  his  ship,  —  rather  a 
sluggish  vessel  at  best,  and  now,  heavily  laden,  slower 
than  ever.  The  stream  anchors  were  cut  away,  and 
then  one  of  the  bowers  also ;  all  the  boats,  save  one, 
the  smallest,  were  scuttled  and  cast  adrift;  purchases 
were  got  on  all  the  sheets  and  halliards,  and  the  sails 
hauled  flat  as  boards,  and  kept  well  wetted  down ; 
some  of  the  water  tanks  were  pumped  out,  to  alter  the 
trim  and  lighten  her;  the  bulwarks  and  rails  partly 
cut  away,  and,  as  a  final  resort,  the  maintopmast  stud- 
dingsail  was  set,  but  the  boom  broke  at  the  iron  and 
the  whole  thing  went  adrift  in  a  few  moments.  Tal- 
bot, anxious  to  do  something,  suggested  the  novel 
expedient  of  breaking  out  a  field-piece  from  the  fore 
hold  and  mounting  it  on  the  quarter-deck  to  use  as 
a  stern-chaser.  This  had  been  done,  but  the  frigate 
was  yet  too  far  away  for  it  to  be  of  any  service. 

In  spite  of  all  these  efforts,  they  were  being  over- 
hauled slowly,  but  Seymour  still  held  on  and  did  not 
despair.  There  was  one  chance  of  escape.  Right  be- 
fore them,  not  a  half  league  away,  lay  a  long  shoal 

126 


CHASED   BY  A  FRIGATE 

known  as  George's  Shoal,  extending  several  leagues 
across  the  path  of  the  two  ships ;  through  the  middle 
of  this  dangerous  shoal  there  existed  a  channel,  nar- 
row and  tortuous,  but  still  practicable  for  ships  of  a 
certain  size.  He  was  familiar  with  its  windings,  as  was 
Bentley,  as  they  both  had  examined  it  carefully  in 
the  previous  summer  with  a  view  to  just  such  a  con- 
tingency as  now  occurred.  The  Mellish  was  a  large 
and  clumsy  ship,  heavily  laden,  and  drawing  much 
water,  but  he  felt  confident  that  he  could  take  her 
through  the  pass.  At  any  rate  the  attempt  was  worth 
making,  and  if  he  did  fail,  it  would  be  better  to  wreck 
her,  he  thought,  than  allow  her  to  be  recaptured. 
The  English  captain  either  knew  or  did  not  know 
of  the  shoal  and  the  channel.  If  he  knew  it,  he 
would  have  to  make  a  long  detour,  for  in  no  case 
would  the  depth  of  water  in  the  pass  permit  a  heavy 
ship  as  was  the  pursuing  vessel  to  follow  them ;  and, 
aided  by  the  darkness  rapidly  closing  down,  the  Mel- 
lish would  be  enabled  to  escape. 

If  the  English  captain  were  a  new  man  on  the  station, 
and  unacquainted  with  the  existence  of  the  shoal,  as 
was  most  likely  —  well,  then  he  was  apt  to  lose  his 
ship  and  all  on  board  of  her,  if  he  chased  too  far  and 
too  hard.  The  problem  resolved  itself  into  this:  if 
the  Mellish  could  maintain  her  distance  from  the  pur- 
suer until  it  was  necessary  to  come  by  the  wind  for  a 
short  tack,  and  still  have  sufficient  space  and  time  left 
to  enable  her  to  run  up  to  the  mouth  of  the  channel 
without  being  sunk,  or  forced  to  strike  by  the  bat- 
teries of  the  frigate,  they  might  escape ;  if  not —  God 
help  them  all !  thought  Seymour,  desperately,  for 
in  that  event  he  resolved  to  run  the  vessel  on  the 

127 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

rocky  edge  of  the  shoal  at  the  pass  mouth  and  sink 
her. 

They  were  rapidly  drawing  down  upon  the  shoal  at 
the  point  from  which  they  must  come  by  the  wind, 
on  the  starboard  tack.  Some  far-away  lights  on  Cape 
Cod  had  just  been  lighted,  which  enabled  Seymour 
to  get  his  bearing  exactly.  He  had  talked  the  situa- 
tion over  quietly  with  Bentley,  and  they  had  not 
yet  lost  hope  of  escaping.  The  men  had  worked  hard 
and  faithfully,  carrying  out  the  various  orders  and 
lightening  ship,  and  now,  having  done  all,  some  few 
were  lying  about  the  deck  resting,  while  the  remainder 
hung  over  the  rails  gazing  at  their  pursuer.  One  of 
the  men,  the  sea  philosopher  Thompson,  of  the 
Ranger's  crew,  finally  went  aft  to  the  quarter-deck 
to  old  Bentley,  who  was  privileged  to  stand  there 
under  the  circumstances,  and  asked  if  he  might  have 
a  look  through  the  glass  for  a  moment  at  the  frigate. 


133 


CHAPTER  XVI 

'Twixt  Love  and  Duty 

'*    A  Y,  it's  as  I  thought,"  he  remarked,  returning 
£\.    the   glass   after   a    long   gaze;   "that's    the 
Radnor,  curse  her !  " 

"  The  Radnor,  mate?     Are  you  quite  sure?  " 
"  Bosun,  does  a  man  live  in  a  hell  like  that  for  a 
year  and  a  half,  and  forget  how  it  looks  ?     I  'd  know 
her  among  a  thousand  ships !  " 

"What's  that  you  say,  my  man?"  eagerly  asked 
Seymour,  stopping  suddenly,    having   caught   some 
part  of  the  conversation  as  he  was  passing  by. 
"  Why,  that  that  'ere  ship  is  the  Radnor,  sir." 
Talbot  and  his  men  were  busy  with  the  gun  aft; 
no  one  heard  but  Seymour  and  Bentley. 

"  The  Radnor  !  How  do  you  know  it,  man?" 
"  I  served  aboard  her  for  eighteen  months,  sir. 
I  knows  every  line  of  her,  —  that  there  spliced  fore 
shroud,  the  patch  in  the  mainsail,  —  I  put  it  on 
myself,  —  besides,  I  know  her;  I  don't  know  how, 
but  know  her  I  do,  every  stick  in  her.  Curse  her  — 
saving  your  honor's  presence  —  I  'm  not  likely  to 
forget  her.  I  was  whipped  at  the  grating  till  I  was 
nearly  dead,  just  for  standing  up  for  this  country,  on 
board  of  her,  and  me  a  freeborn  American  too ! 
I  've  got  her  sign  manual  on  my  back,  and  her  pic- 
9  129 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

ture  here,  and  I  'd  give  all  the  rest  of  my  life  to  see 
her  smashed  and  sunk,  and  feel  that  I  'd  had  some 
hand  in  the  doing  of  it.  Ay,  I  know  her.  Could 
a  man  ever  forget  her !  "  continued  the  seaman,  turn- 
ing away  white  with  passion,  and  shaking  his  fist  in 
convulsive  rage  at  the  frigate,  which  made  a  hand- 
some picture  in  spite  of  all.  Seymour's  face  was  as 
white  as  Thompson's  was. 

"The  Radnor!  The  Radnor!  Why,  that's  the 
ship  Miss  Wilton  is  on.  Oh,  Bentley,  what  can  be 
done  now?"  he  said,  the  whole  situation  rising  before 
him.  "  If  we  lead  that  ship  through  the  pass  it  means 
wreck  for  her.  Dacres,  who  commands  the  Radnor, 
is  a  new  man  on  this  station.  And  if  we  don't  try 
the  pass,  this  ship  is  captured.  And  our  country,  our 
cause,  receives  a  fatal  blow !  Was  ever  a  man  in 
such  a  situation  before?" 

Bentley  looked  at  him  with  eyes  full  of  pity.  "  We 
are  approaching  the  shoal  now,  sir,  and  unless  we 
would  be  on  it,  we  will  have  to  bring  the  ship  by  the 
wind  at  once." 

This,  at  least,  was  a  respite.  Seymour  glanced 
ahead,  and  at  once  gave  the  necessary  orders.  When 
the  course  was  altered  it  became  necessary  to  take  in 
the  fore  and  main  topgallantsails,  on  account  of  the 
wind,  now  blowing  a  half  gale  and  steadily  rising.  The 
speed  of  the  ship,  therefore,  was  unfortunately  sensibly 
diminished,  and  she  was  soon  pitching  and  heaving 
on  the  starboard  tack,  much  to  the  astonishment  of 
Talbot  and  the  crew,  who  were  ignorant  of  the  exist- 
ence of  the  shoal,  and  the  latter  of  whom  could  see 
no  necessity  for  the  dangerous  alteration  in  the 
course;  they,  however,  of  course  said  nothing,  and 

130 


'TWIXT   LOVE   AND   DUTY 

Talbot,  whose  ignorance  of  seamanship  did  not 
quahfy  him  to  decide  difficult  questions,  after  a 
glance  at  Seymour's  stern,  pale  face,  decided  to  ask 
nothing  about  it.  This  present  course  being  at  right 
angles  to  that  of  their  pursuer,  whom  neither  Sey- 
mour nor  Bentley  doubted  to  be  the  Radnor,  would 
speedily  bring  the  two  ships  together.  They  had 
gained  a  small  but  precious  advantage,  however,  as 
the  frigate,  apparently  as  much  surprised  by  the  un- 
expected manoeuvre  as  their  own  men,  had  allowed 
some  moments  to  elapse  before  her  helm  was  shifted 
and  the  wind  brought  on  the  other  quarter;  the 
courses  of  the  two  ships  now  intersected  at  an  angle 
of  perhaps  seventy  degrees,  which  would  bring  them 
together  in  a  short  time. 

The  people  on  the  Mellish  could  plainly  hear  the 
drums  of  the  frigate,  now  almost  in  range,  beating  to 
quarters.  They  were  near  enough  to  count  the  gun- 
ports  ;  it  was  indeed  a  heavy  frigate,  —  a  thirty-six, 
just  the  rating  of  the  Radnor.  Talbot  had  made 
ready  his  field-piece,  and  in  a  moment  the  heavy 
boom  of  the  gun  echoed  over  the  waters.  The  shot 
fell  a  little  short,  but  was  in  good  line.  Much  en- 
couraged, the  men  hastened  to  load  the  piece  again, 
while  the  Mellish  crept  along,  all  too  slowly  for  the 
eager  anxiety  of  her  crew,  toward  the  mouth  of 
the  channel,  of  which  most  of  them,  however,  knew 
nothing.  The  frigate,  partly  because  in  order  to  bring 
a  gun  to  bear  on  the  chase  it  would  have  to  luff  up 
into  the  wind  and  thus  lose  valuable  distance,  and 
also  because  the  rapidity  with  which  the  Mellish  was 
being  overhauled  rendered  it  unnecessary,  had  hith- 
erto refrained  from  using  its  batteries.     The  chances 

131 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

of  escape  under  the  present  conditions  were  about 
even,  had  it  not  been  for  the  complication  introduced 
by  the  presence  of  Katharine  and  her  father  upon 
the  frigate. 

Seymour  was  in  a  painful  and  frightful  state  of  in- 
decision. What  should  he  do?  The  dilemma  forced 
upon  him  was  one  of  those  which  Katharine  had  fore- 
seen, and  of  which  they  had  talked  together.  He, 
apparently,  must  decide  between  his  love  and  his 
country.  If  he  held  on  when  he  reached  the  mouth 
of  the  channel  and  passed  it  by,  the  capture  of  the 
ship  was  absolutely  inevitable.  If  he  went  through 
the  channel  and  enticed  the  English  ship  after  him, 
the  death  of  his  sweetheart  was  likewise  apparently 
inevitable. 

Chasing  with  the  determination  shown  by  the 
English  captain,  who  had  his  topgallantsails  still 
set,  and  with  the  little  warning  he  would  have  of  the 
existence  of  the  shoal,  owing  to  the  rapid  closing  of 
the  day,  the  frigate  would  have  to  attempt  the  chan- 
nel, and  in  that  way  for  that  ship  lay  destruction. 

Save  Katharine  —  Lose  the  ship.  Save  the  ship  — 
Lose  Katharine.  Love  or  Duty  —  which  should  it 
be?  The  man  was  attacked  in  the  two  most  power- 
ful sources  of  human  action.  He  saw  on  one  side 
Katharine  tossed  about  by  the  merciless  waves,  white- 
faced  with  terror,  and  stretching  out  her  hands  to  him 
in  piteous  appeal  from  that  angry  sea  in  the  horror  of 
darkness  and  death.  And  every  voice  which  spoke 
to  the  human  heart  was  eloquent  of  her.  And  then 
on  the  other  side  there  stood  those  grim  and  frozen 
ranks,  those  gaunt,  hungry,  naked  men.  They  too 
stretched  out  hands  to  him.     "  Give   us  arms,  give 

132 


'TWIXT  LOVE   AND   DUTY 

us  raiment,"  they  seemed  to  say.  "  You  had  the 
opportunity  and  you  threw  it  away  for  love.  What's 
love  —  to  liberty?" 

And  every  incentive  which  awakens  the  soul  of 
honor  in  men  appealed  to  him  then.  Behind  him 
stood  the  destinies  of  a  great  people,  the  fate  of  a 
great  cause ;  on  him  they  trusted,  upon  his  honor 
they  had  depended,  and  before  him  stood  one  woman. 
He  saw  her  again  as  he  had  seen  her  before  on  the 
top  of  the  hill  on  that  memorable  night  in  Virginia. 
What  had  she  said?  — 

"7/"  I  stood  in  the  pathway  of  liberty  for  one  single 
instant,  I  should  despise  the  man  who  would  not  sweep 
me  aside  without  a  moment's  hesitatio?i." 

Oh,  Katharine,  Katharine,  he  groaned  in  spirit, 
pressing  his  hands  upon  his  face  in  agony,  while 
every  breaking  wave  flung  the  words,  "  duty  and 
honor,"  into  his  face,  and  every  throb  of  his  beating 
heart  whispered  "  love  —  love." 


133 


CHAPTER   XVII 
An  Incidental  Passage  at  Arms 

THERE  were  two  entrances  to  the  channel,  lying 
perhaps  a  half  mile  apart,  the  first  the  better 
and  more  practicable,  and  certainly,  with  the  frigate 
rapidly  drawing  near,  the  safer.  They  were  almost 
abreast  of  the  first  one  now.  Bentley,  who  had  been 
observing  him  keenly,  came  up  to  him. 

"  We  are  almost  abreast  the  first  pass,  Mr.  Sey- 
mour," he  said  respectfully, 

Seymour  turned  as  if  he  had  been  struck.  Was 
the  decision  already  upon  him?  He  could  not 
make  it. 

"  We  —  we  will  try  the  second,  Bentley." 

"  Sir,"  said  the  old  man,  hesitating,  and  yet  persist- 
ing, "  the  frigate  is  coming  down  fast ;  we  may  not  be 
able  to  make  the  second  pass." 

"  We  will  try  the  second,  nevertheless,"  said  the 
young  man,  imperatively. 

"  But,  Mr.  John  —  " 

"  Silence,  sir !  When  have  you  bandied  words 
with  me  before?  "  shouted  Seymour,  in  a  passion  of 
temper.     "  Go  forward  where  you  belong." 

The  old  man  looked  at  him  steadily:  "When,  sir? 
Why,  ever  since  I  took  you  from  your  dead  father's 
arms  near  a  score  of  years  ago.  Oh,  sir,  I  know 
what  you  feel,  but  you  know  what  you  must  do.     It 's 

134 


AN  INCIDENTAL  PASSAGE  AT  ARMS 

not  for  me  to  tell  you  your  duty,"  said  the  old  man, 
laying  heavy  emphasis  upon  that  talismanic  word 
"  duty,"  which  seems  to  appeal  more  powerfully  to 
seamen  than  to  any  other  class  of  men.  "  Love  is  a 
mighty  thing,  sir.  I  know  it,  yes,  even  I,"  he  went 
on  with  rude  eloquence,  "  ever  since  I  took  you  when 
you  were  a  little  lad,  and  swore  to  watch  over  you, 
and  care  for  you,  and  make  a  man  of  you  —  Ay,  and 
I  've  done  it  too  —  and  the  love  of  woman,  they  say, 
is  stronger  than  the  love  of  man,  though  of  that  I 
know  nothing,  but  honor  and  duty  are  above  love, 
sir;  and  upon  your  honor,  and  your  doing  your  duty, 
our  country  depends.  Yes,  love  of  woman,  Mr.  Sey- 
mour, but  before  that  love  of  country ;  and  now,"  said 
the  old  man,  mournfully,  "  after  twenty  years  of — of 
friendship,  if  I  may  say  it,  you  order  me  forward  like 
a  dog.  But  that's  neither  here  nor  there,  if  you 
only  save  the  ship.  Oh,  Mr.  John,  in  five  minutes 
more  you  must  decide.  See,"  pointing  to  the  frigate, 
"  how  she  rises  !  Think  of  it.  Think  of  it  once  more 
before  you  jeopard  the  safety  of  this  ship  for  any 
woman.  Honor,  sir,  and  duty — it's  laid  upon  you, 
you  must  do  it  —  they  come  before  everything." 

Seymour  looked  at  the  old  man  tenderly,  and  then 
grasped  him  by  the  hand.  "  You  are  right,  old  friend. 
Forgive  my  rough  words.  I  will  do  it.  It  kills  me, 
but  I  will  do  it  —  the  country  first  of  all.  O  God, 
pity  me  and  help  me !"  he  cried. 

"Amen,"  said  Bentley,  his  face  working  with  grief, 
yet  iron  in  its  determination  and  resolution. 

Seymour  turned  on  his  heel  and  sprang  aft,  bring- 
ing his  hand  the  while  up  to  his  heart.  As  he  did 
so,  his  fingers  instinctively  went  to  the  pocket  of  his 

135 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

waistcoat  and  sought  the  letter  he  carried  there. 
He  took  it  out  half  mechanically  and  glanced  at  the 
familiar  writing  once  more,  when  a  sudden  gust  of 
wind  snatched  it  out  of  his  hand  and  blew  it  to  the 
feet  of  Talbot. 

"  My  letter  !  "  cried  Seymour,  impulsively. 

The  soldier  courteously  stooped  and  picked  it  up 
and  glanced  down  at  the  open  scrap  mechanically,  as 
he  extended  his  hand  toward  Seymour;  then  the 
next  moment  he  cried,  — 

"  Why,  it 's  from  Katharine  !  " 

One  unconscious  inspection  sufficed  to  put  him  in 
possession  of  the  contents.  "  Where  did  you  get 
this  note,  sir?  "  he  exclaimed,  his  face  flushing  with 
jealousy  and  sudden  suspicion ;  "  it  is  mine,  I  am  the 
one  she  loves.  How  came  it  in  your  possession?" 
he  continued,  in  rising  heat. 

Seymour,  already  unstrung  by  the  fearful  strain  he 
had  gone  through  and  the  frightful  decision  he  would 
have  to  make  later  on,  nay,  had  made  after  Bent- 
ley's  words,  was  in  no  mood  to  be  catechized. 

*'  I  am  not  in  the  habit  of  answering  such  personal 
questions,  sir.  And  I  recognize  no  right  in  you  to 
so  question  me." 

"  Right,  sir !  I  find  a  letter  in  your  possession  with 
words  of  love  in  it,  from  my  betrothed,  a  note  plainly 
meant  for  me,  and  which  has  been  withheld.  How 
comes  it  so?  " 

"  And  I  repeat,  sir,  I  have  nothing  to  say  except  to 
demand  the  return  of  my  letter  instantly ;  it  is  mine, 
and  I  will  have  it." 

"  Do  you  not  know,  Mr.  Seymour,  that  we  have 
been  pledged  to  each  other  since  childhood,  that  we 

136 


AN  INCIDENTAL  PASSAGE  AT  ARMS 

have  been  lovers,  she  is  to  be  my  wife?  I  love  her 
and   she   loves   me ;  explain   this  letter  then." 

"  It  is  false,  Mr.  Talbot ;  she  has  pledged  herself  to 
me,  —  yes,  sir,  to  me.  I  care  nothing  for  your  childish 
love-affairs.  She  is  mine,  if  I  may  believe  her  words, 
as  is  the  letter  which  you  have  basely  read.  You 
will  return  it  to  me  at  once,  or  I  shall  have  it  taken 
from  you  by  force." 

"  I  give  you  the  lie,  sir,  here  and  now,"  shrieked 
Talbot,  laying  his  hand  upon  his  sword,  "  It  is  not 
true,  she  is  mine ;   as  for  the  note  —  I  keep  it !  " 

Seymour  controlled  himself  by  a  violent  effort,  and 
looked  around  for  some  of  his  men.  Wilton  and 
Bentley  had  come  aft  in  great  anxiety,  and  the  whole 
crew  were  looking  eagerly  at  them,  attracted  by  the 
aroused  voices  and  the  passionate  attitude  of  the  two 
men.     For  a  moment  the  chase  was  forgotten. 

"  Oh,  Hilary,"  said  Philip,  addressing  his  friend. 

"  Hush,  Philip,  this  man  insults  your  sister.  I  am 
defending  her  honor." 

The  lad  hesitated  a  moment ;  discipline  was  strong 
in  his  young  soul.  "  That  is  my  duty  —  Mr.  Sey- 
mour," he  said. 

Seymour  turned  swiftly  upon  him.  "  What  are  you 
doing  here,  Mr.  Wilton?  All  hands  are  called,  are 
they  not?  Your  station  is  on  the  forecastle,  then,  I 
believe,"  he  said  with  deadly  calm.  "  Oblige  me  by 
going  forward  at  once,  sir." 

"  Go,  Philip,"  cried  Talbot ;  "  I  can  take  care  of 
this  man." 

"  Aft  here,  two  or  three  of  you,"  continued  Sey- 
mour, his  usually  even  voice  trembling  a  little. 
"  Seize  Lieutenant  Talbot.      Arrest  him.     Take  his 

137 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

sword  from  him,  and  hand  me  the  letter  he  has  in  his 
hand,  and  then  confine  him  in  his  cabin." 

Two  or  three  of  the  seamen  came  running  aft. 
Talbot  whipped  out  his  sword. 

"  The  first  man  that  touches  me  shall  have  this 
through  his  heart,"  he  said  fiercely.  But  the  seamen 
would  have  made  short  work  of  him,  if  it  had  not 
been  for  the  restraining  hand  of  Bentley. 

"  Gentlemen,  gentlemen  !  "  he  said. 

"  Out  of  the  way,  Bentley.  You  have  changed  my 
plans  once.  I  will  not  be  balked  again.  I  am  the 
captain  of  this  ship,  and  I  intend  to  be  obeyed." 

"  'T  is  well  that  Mr.  Seymour  is  on  his  ship  and 
surrounded  by  his  bullies.  He  dare  not  meet  me 
man  to  man,  sword  to  sword.  Would  we  were  on 
shore  !  You  coward  ! "  screamed  Talbot,  advancing 
toward  him,  "  shall  I   strike  you  ? " 

"  You  will  have  it  then,  sir,"  said  Seymour,  at  last 
giving  way.  "  No  man  so  speaks  to  me  and  lives- 
Back,  men  !  "  and  white  with  passion  and  rage  he  drew 
his  own  sword  and  sprang  forward.  No  less  resolutely 
did  Talbot  meet  him.  Their  blades  crossed  and  rang 
against  each  other.  Bentley  wrung  his  hands  in  dread- 
ful indecision,  not  knowing  what  to  do ;  he  dared  not 
lay  hands  upon  his  superior  officer,  yet  this  combat 
must  cease.  But  the  fierce  sword-play,  both  men 
being  masters  of  the  weapon,  as  was  the  habit  of 
gentlemen  of  that  day,  was  suddenly  interrupted. 


138 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
Duty  Wins  the  Game 

A  BOOMING  roar  came  down  upon  them  from 
the  frigate,  which  had  fired  a  broadside,  which 
was  followed  presently  by  the  whistling  of  shot  over 
their  heads.  Great  rents  were  seen  in  the  canvas, 
pieces  of  running  gear  fell  to  the  deck,  there  was  a 
crashing,  rending  sound,  and  a  part  of  the  rail,  left 
standing  abaft  the  mizzen  shrouds,  smashed  into 
splinters  and  drove  inboard  under  the  impact  of  a 
heavy  shot. 

One  splinter  struck  the  man  at  the  helm  in  the 
side ;  he  fell  with  a  shriek,  and  lay  white  and  still  by 
the  side  of  the  wheel,  which,  no  longer  restrained  by 
his  hand,  spun  round  madly.  Another  splinter  hit 
the  sword  of  Talbot,  breaking  the  blade  and  sweej>- 
ing  it  from  his  hands,  and  the  unlucky  scrap  of  paper 
was  blown  into  the  sea.  The  spanker  sheet  was  cut  in 
two,  and  the  boom  swept  out  to  windward,  knocking 
one  of  the  men  overboard.  There  was  neither  time 
nor  opportunity  to  pick  him  up,  and  he  went  to  his 
death  unheeded. 

Seymour  dropped  his  sword,  every  instinct  of  a 
sailor  aroused,  and  sprang  to  the  horse-block.  The 
ship,  left  to  itself,  fell  off  rapidly  before  the  wind. 
Bentley  jumped  to  seize  the  helm. 

139 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  Flow  the  head  sheets  there !  "  cried  the  lieuten- 
ant; "lively!  Aft  here  and  haul  in  the  spanker! 
Brail  up  the  foresail!  Down,  hard  down  with  the 
helm  ! " 

There  was  another  broadside  from  the  heavy  guns  of 
the  frigate.  Talbot  replied  with  his  stern-chaser,  and 
a  cloud  of  splinters  showed  that  the  shot  took  effect, 
whereat  the  men  at  the  gun  cheered  and  loaded,  and 
then  crash  went  the  mizzen  topgallant  mast  above 
their  heads ! 

"  Lively,  men  I "  shouted  Seymour,  "  we  must  get  on 
the  wind  again  or  we  are  lost." 

"  Breakers  on  the  starboard  bow !  "  shrieked  the 
lookout  on  the  forecastle  suddenly.  "  Breakers  on 
the  port  bow !  "  His  voice  ran  aft  in  a  shrill  scream, 
fraught  with  terror,  "  Breakers  ahead  !  " 

"  Down,  hard  down  with  the  helm,  Bentley,"  said 
Seymour,  himself  springing  over  to  assist  the  old  man 
at  the  wheel. 

But  Bentley  raised  his  hand  and  kept  the  wheel 
steady.  "  Too  late,  sir,  for  that,"  he  cried,  "  we  are  in 
the  pass.  God  help  us  now,  sir.  Mr.  Seymour,  look 
to  the  ship,  sir,  look  to  the  ship !  " 

The  young  officer  sprang  back  on  the  horse- 
block, his  soul  filled  with  horror.  So  fate  had  de- 
cided for  him  at  last,  and  duty,  not  love,  had  won  the 
mighty  game.  A  third  broadside  passed  harmlessly 
over  the  ship,  doing  little  damage,  the  rough  weather 
making  aiming  uncertain.  Again  the  field-piece  re- 
plied. Seymour  never  turned  his  head  in  the  direction 
of  the  frigate.  He  could  not  look  upon  the  catastro- 
phe ;  besides,  the  exigency  of  the  situation  demanded 
that  he  give  his  whole  mind  to  conning  the  ship 

140 


DUTY  WINS   THE   GAME 

through  the  narrow  pass,  Bentley  himself,  assisted 
by  a  young  sailor,  kept  the  helm;  the  oldest  sea- 
men had  charge  of  the  braces.  The  wreck  of  the 
mizzen  topgallant  mast  was  allowed  to  hang  for  the 
present. 

The  white  water  dashed  about  the  ship  in  sheets 
of  foam;  they  were  well  in  the  breakers  now,  and 
the  most  ignorant  eye  could  see  the  danger.  One 
false  movement  meant  disaster  for  the  ship  for  whose 
safety  Seymour  had  sacrificed  so  much.  He  did  not 
make  it.  To  his  disordered  fancy  Katharine's  vvhite 
face  looked  up  at  him  from  every  breaking  wave.  He 
steeled  his  heart  and  gave  his  orders  with  as  much 
ease  and  precision  as  if  it  had  been  a  practice  cruise. 
To  the  day  of  his  death  he  could  not  account  for  his 
ability  to  do  so.  He  made  a  splendid  figure,  stand- 
ing on  the  horse-block,  his  hair  flowing  out  in  the 
wind,  his  face  deadly  pale;  calm,  cool,  steady;  his 
voice  clear  and  even,  but  heard  in  every  part  of  the 
ship.  The  heart  of  the  old  sailor  at  the  helm  yearned 
toward  him,  and  the  seamen  looked  at  him  as  if  he 
had  been  a  demigod.  He  never  once  looked  back, 
but  from  the  cries  of  the  men  he  could  follow  every 
motion  of  the  frigate  behind  him.  The  frigate,  the 
unsuspicious  frigate,  had  followed  the  course  of  the 
transport  exactly,  and  was  coming  down  to  the  deadly 
rocks  like  a  hurricane. 

Talbot,  his  quarrel  forgotten  for  the  moment, 
ceased  firing,  and  stood,  with  all  of  the  men  who 
could  be  spared  from  their  stations,  looking  aft  at 
the  tremendous  drama  being  played. 

"  The  frigate  !  Look  at  the  frigate  !  She  's  going 
to  strike,  sir !  "  cried  one  of  the  seamen,  excitedly,  — 

141 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

old  Thompson,  who  had  sailed  upon  her.  "See,  they 
see  the  breakers.  Now  there  go  the  head  yards.  It 
won't  do.  It 's  too  late.  My  God,  she  strikes,  she 
strikes !  I  '11  have  one  more  shot  at  her  before  she 
goes,"  he  shrieked,  taking  hasty  aim  over  the  loaded 
field-piece  and  touching  the  priming.  "  Ay,  and  a 
hit  too.  Hurrah !  hurrah !  To  h — 1  with  ye,  where 
you  belong,  ye  —  " 

"  Silence  aft !  "  shouted  Seymour,  in  a  voice  of  thun- 
der. "Keep  fast  that  gun;  and  another  cheer  like 
that,  and  I  put  you  in  irons,  Thompson." 

The  water  in  the  front  of  the  Mellish  suddenly 
became  darker,  the  breakers  disappeared,  the  ship 
was  in  deep  water  again ;  she  had  the  open  sea  be- 
fore her,  and  was  through  the  channel. 

"  We  are  through  the  pass,  sir,"  said  Bentley. 

"  I  know  it,"  answered  Seymour,  at  last.  "  I 
suppose  there  is  no  use  beating  back  around  the 
shoal,  Bentley?"  he  said  tentatively. 

"  No,  sir,  no  use ;  and  besides  in  this  wind  we  could 
not  do  it;  and,  sir,  you  know  nothing  will  live  in  such 
a  sea.     Look  at  the  Englishman  now,  sir." 

The  captain  turned  at  last.  The  frigate  was  a  hope- 
less wreck.  All  three  of  her  masts  had  gone  by  the 
board;  she  had  run  full  on  the  rocky  ledge  of  the 
shoal  at  the  mouth  of  the  channel.  The  wind  had 
risen  until  it  blew  a  heavy  gale ;  no  boat,  no  human 
being,  could  live  in  such  a  sea.  The  waters  rushed 
over  her  at  every  sweep,  and  she  was  fast  breaking  up 
before  them.  Night  had  fallen,  and  darkness  at  last 
enshrouded  her  as  she  faded  out  of  view.  A  drop  of 
snow  fell  lightly  upon  the  cold  cheek  of  the  young 
sailor,  and  the  men  gazed  into  the  night  in  silence, 

142 


DUTY  WINS  THE   GAME 

appalled  by  the  awful  catastrophe.  Bentley,  under- 
standing it  all,  laid  his  hand  lightly  on  Seymour's 
arm,  saying  softly, — 

"  Better  clear  the  wreck  and  get  the  mizzen  topsail 
and  the  fore  and  main  sail  in,  sir,  and  reef  the  fore 
and  main  topsails;  the  spars  are  buckling  fearfully. 
She  can't  stand  much  more." 

"  Oh,  Bentley,"  he  said  with  a  sob,  and  then,  mas- 
tering himself,  he  gave  the  necessary  orders  to  clear 
away  the  wreck  and  take  in  the  other  sails,  and  close 
reef  the  topsails,  in  order  to  put  the  ship  in  proper 
trim  for  the  rising  storm ;  after  which,  the  wind  now 
permitting,  the  ship  was  headed  for  Philadelphia. 

As  Seymour  turned  to  go  below,  he  came  face  to 
face  with  Talbot.  The  two  men  stood  gazing  at  each 
other  in  silence. 

"  We  still  have  an  account  to  settle,  Mr.  Talbot,"  he 
said  sternly. 

"  My  God,"  said  Talbot,  hesitatingly,  "  was  n't  it 
awful?  How  small,  Seymour,  are  our  quarrels  in  the 
face  of  that !"  pointing  out  into  the  darkness,  —  "  such 
a  tremendous  catastrophe  as  that  is." 

Seymour  looked  at  him  curiously;  the  man  had 
not  yet  fathomed  the  depth  of  the  catastrophe  to 
him,  evidently. 

"  As  for  our  quarrel,"  he  continued  in  a  manly, 
generous  way,  "I — perhaps  I  was  wrong,  Mr.  Sey- 
mour. I  know  I  was,  but  I  have  loved  her  all  my 
life.  I  am  sorry  I  spoke  so,  and  I  beg  your  pardon ; 
but  —  won't  you  tell  me  about  the  note  now?  " 

A  great  pity  for  the  young  man  filled  Seymour's 
heart  in  spite  of  his  own  sorrow.  "  I  loved  her  too," 
he  said  quietly.     "The  note  was  sent  to  me  from 

143 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

Gwynn's  Island,  where  they  were  confined.  I  had 
offered  myself  to  her  the  night  of  the  raid, — just 
before  it,  in  fact,  —  and  she  accepted  me.  The  note 
was  mine.     Where  is  it?" 

"  Oh !  "  said  Talbot,  softly,  lifting  his  hand  to  his 
throat,  "  and  I  loved  her  too,  and  she  is  yours.  For- 
give me,  Seymour,  you  won  her  honorably.  I  was 
too  confident,  —  a  fool.  The  note  is  gone  into  the 
sea.     We  cannot  quarrel  about  it  now." 

"  There  can  be  no  quarrel  between  us  now,  Tal- 
bot. She  is  mine  no  more  than  she  is  yours.  She  — 
she  —  "     He  paused,  choking.     "She — " 

"Oh,  what  is  it?  Speak,  man,"  cried  Talbot,  in 
sudden  fear  which  he  could  not  explain.  PhiHp 
Wilton  had  drawn  near  and  was  listening  eagerly. 

"  That  ship  there  —  the  Radnor,  you  know  —  is 
lost,  and  all  on  board  of  her  must  have  perished 
long  since." 

"Yes,  yes,  it's  awful;  but  what  of  that?  what  of 
Katharine?" 

"Don't  you  remember  the  note?  Colonel  Wilton 
and  she  were  on  the  Radnor." 

The  strain  of  the  last  hour  had  undermined  the 
nervous  strength  of  the  young  soldier.  He  looked  at 
Seymour,  half  dazed. 

"  It  can't  be,"  he  murmured.  "  Why  did  you  do 
it?  How  could  you?"  The  world  turned  black  be- 
fore him.  He  reeled  as  if  from  a  blow,  and  would 
have  fallen  if  Seymour  had  not  caught  him.  Philip 
strained  his  gaze  out  over  the  dark  water. 

"  Oh,  my  father,  my  father !  "  he  cried.  "  Mr.  Sey- 
mour, is  there  no  hope,  no  chance?  " 

"  None  whatever,  my  boy ;  they  are  gone." 
144 


DUTY  WINS  THE   GAME 

"  Oh,  Katharine,  Katharine !  Why  did  you  do  it, 
Seymour?  "  said  Talbot,  again. 

Seymour  turned  away  in  silence.  He  could  not 
reply ;  now  that  it  was  done,  he  had  no  reason. 

The  dim  light  from  the  binnacle  lantern  fell  on 
the  face  of  Bentley;  tears  were  standing  in  the  old 
man's  eyes  as  he  looked  at  them,  and  he  said  slowly, 
as  if  in  response  to  Talbot's  question,  — 

"  For  love  of  country,  gentlemen." 

And  this,  again,  is  war  upon  the  sea ! 


10 


»4S 


'BOOfe   III 
THE    LION   AT   BAY 


147 


CHAPTER  XIX 
The  Port  of  Philadelphia 

THE  day  before  Christmas,  the  warden  of  the  port 
of  Philadelphia,  standing  glass  in  hand  on  one 
of  the  wharves,  noticed  a  strange  vessel  slowly  coming 
up  the  bay.  This  in  itself  was  not  an  unusual  sight. 
Many  vessels  during  the  course  of  a  year  arrived  at, 
or  departed  from,  the  chief  city  of  the  American 
continent.  Not  so  many  small  traders  or  coasting- 
vessels  or  ponderous  East  Indiamen,  perhaps,  as  in 
the  busy  times  of  peace  before  the  war  began ;  but 
their  place  was  taken  by  privateers  and  their  prizes, 
or  a  ship  from  France,  bringing  large  consignments 
of  war  material  from  the  famous  house  of  Rodrigo 
Hortalez  &  Co.,  of  which  the  versatile  and  ingenuous 
M.  de  Beaumarchais  was  the  dens  ex  machina ;  and 
once  in  a  while  one  of  the  few  ships  of  war  of  the 
Continental  navy,  or  some  of  the  galleys  or  gun- 
boats of  Commodore  Hazelwood's  Pennsylvania  State 
defence  fleet.  But  the  approaching  ship  was  evidently 
neither  a  privateer  nor  a  vessel  of  war,  neither  did  she 
present  the  appearance  of  a  peaceful  merchantman. 
There  was  something  curious  and  noteworthy  in  her 
aspect  which  excited  the  attention  of  the  port  war- 
den, and  then  of  the  loungers  along  Front  Street  and 
the  wharves,  and  speedily  communicated  itself  to  the 
citizens  of  the  town,  so  that  they  began  to  hasten 

149 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

down  to  the  river,  in  the  cold  of  the  late  afternoon. 
Finally,  no  less  a  person  than  the  military  com- 
mander of  the  city  himself  appeared,  followed  by 
one  or  two  aids,  and  attended  by  various  bewigged 
and  beruffled  gentlemen  of  condition  and  substance ; 
among  whose  finery  the  black  coat  of  a  clergyman 
and  the  sober  attire  of  many  of  the  thrifty  Quakers 
were  conspicuous.  Here  and  there  the  crowd  was 
lightened  by  the  uniform  of  a  militiaman  or  home 
guard,  or  the  faded  buff  and  blue  of  some  invalid  or 
wounded  Continental.  In  the  doorways  of  some  of 
the  spacious  residences  facing  the  river,  many  of  the 
fair  dames  for  which  Philadelphia  was  justly  famous 
noted  eagerly  the  approaching  ship.  As  she  came 
slowly  up  against  the  ebb  tide,  it  was  seen  that  her 
bulwarks  had  been  cut  away,  all  her  boats  but  one 
appeared  to  be  lost,  her  mizzen  topgallant  mast  was 
gone,  several  great  patches  in  her  sails  also  attracted 
attention;  there  too  was  a  field-piece  mounted  and 
lashed  on  the  quarter-deck  as  a  stern-chaser.  The 
fore  royal  was  furled,  and  two  flags  were  hanging 
limply  from  the  masthead;  the  light  breeze  from 
time  to  time  fluttering  them  a  Httle,  but  not  suffi- 
ciently to  disclose  what  they  were,  until  just  opposite 
High  Street,  where  she  dropped  her  only  remaining 
anchor,  when  a  sudden  gust  of  wind  lifted  the  two 
flags  before  the  anxious  spectators,  who  saw  that  one 
was  a  British  and  the  other  their  own  ensign.  As 
soon  as  the  eager  watchers  grasped  the  fact  that  the 
red  cross  of  St.  George  was  beneath  the  stars  and 
stripes,  they  broke  into  spontaneous  cheers  of  rejoic- 
ing. Immediately  after,  the  field-gun  on  the  quarter- 
deck was  fired,  and  the  report  reverberated  over  the 

150 


THE   PORT   OF   PHILADELPHIA 

water  and  across  the  island  on  the  one  side,  and 
through  the  streets  of  the  town  on  the  other,  with 
sufficient  volume  to  call  every  belated  and  idle  citizen 
to  the  river-front  at  once. 

Immediately  after,  a  small  boat  was  dropped  into 
the  water  and  manned  by  four  stout  seamen,  into 
which  two  officers  rapidly  descended,  — one  in  the  uni- 
form of  a  soldier,  and  the  other  in  naval  attire.  When 
they  reached  the  wharf  at  the  foot  of  High  Street, 
they  found  themselves  confronted  by  an  excited, 
shouting  mass  of  anxious  men,  eager  to  hear  the 
news  they  were  without  doubt  bringing. 

"  It 's  Lieutenant  Seymour  !  "  cried  one. 

**  Yes,  he  went  off  in  the  Ranger  about  two  weeks 
ago,"  answered  another. 

"  So  he  did.    I  wonder  where  the  Ranger  is  now?  " 

"Who  is  the  one  next  to  him?  "  said  a  third. 

"  That 's  the  young  Continental  from  General 
Washington's  staff,  who  went  with  them,"  answered 
a  fourth  voice. 

"  Back,  gentlemen,  back  !  " 

**  Way  for  the  general  commanding  the  town !  " 

"  Here,  men,  don't  crowd  this  way  on  the  honor- 
able committee  of  Congress  !  "  cried  one  and  another, 
as  a  stout,  burly,  red-faced,  honest,  genial-looking  man, 
whose  uniform  of  a  general  officer  could  not  disguise 
his  plain  farmer-like  appearance,  attended  by  two  or 
three  staff-officers  and  followed  by  several  white- 
wigged  gentlemen  of  great  dignity,  the  rich  attire  and 
the  evident  respect  in  which  they  were  held  proclaim- 
ing them  the  committee  of  Congress,  slowly  forced 
their  way  through  the  crowd. 

"  Now,  sir,"  cried  the  general  officer  to  the  two 
151 


FOR   LOVE  OF   COUNTRY 

men  who  had  stepped  out  on  the  wharf,  "  what  ship 
is  that?  We  are  prepared  for  good  news,  seeing 
those  two  flags,  and  the  Lord  knows  we  need  it." 

"  That  is  the  transport  Mellish,  sir ;  a  prize  of  the 
American  Continental  ship  Ranger,  Captain  John 
Paul  Jones." 

"  Hurrah  !  hurrah  !  "  cried  the  crowd,  which  had 
eagerly  pressed  near  to  hear  the  news. 

"  Good,  good  !  "  replied  the  general.  "  I  congratu- 
late you.     How  is  the  Ranger?  " 

"  We  left  her  about  one  hundred  leagues  off  Cape 
Sable  about  a  week  ago  ;  she  had  just  sunk  the  British 
sloop  of  war  Juno,  twenty-two  guns,  after  a  night 
action  of  about  forty  minutes.  We  left  the  Ranger 
bound  for  France,  and  apparently  not  much  injured." 

"  What !  what !  God  bless  me,  young  men,  you 
don't  mean  it !  Sunk  her,  did  you  say,  and  in  forty 
minutes!  Gentlemen,  gentlemen,  do  you  hear  that? 
Three  cheers  for  Captain  John  Paul  Jones !  " 

Just  then  one  of  the  committee  of  Congress,  and 
evidently  its  chairman,  —  a  man  whose  probity  and 
honor  shone  out  from  his  open  pleasant  face,  — 
interrupted,  — 

"  But  tell  me,  young  sir,  —  Lieutenant  Seymour 
of  the  navy,  is  it  not?  Ah,  I  thought  so.  What  is 
her  lading?  Is  it  the  transport  we  have  hoped 
for?" 

"  Yes,  sir.  Lieutenant  Talbot  here  has  her  bills  of 
lading  and  her  manifest  also." 

"  Where  is  it,  Mr.  Talbot?  "  interrupted  the  officer; 
"  let  me  see  it,  sir.  I  am  General  Putnam,  in  com- 
mand of  the  city." 

The  general  took  the  paper  in  his  eagerness,  but 
152 


THE   PORT   OF   PHILADELPHIA 

as  he  had  neglected  to  bring  his  glasses  with  him,  he 
was  unable  to  read  it. 

"  Here,  here,"  he  cried  impatiently,  handing  it 
back,  "  read  it  yourself,  or,  better,  tell  us  quickly 
what  it  is." 

"  Two  thousand  stand  of  arms,  twenty  field-pieces, 
powder,  shot,  and  other  munitions  of  war,  ten  thou- 
sand suits  of  winter  clothes,  blankets,  shoes,  Colonel 
Seaton  and  three  officers  and  fifty  men  of  the  Sea- 
forth  Highlanders  and  their  baggage,  all  en  route  for 
Quebec,"  said  Talbot,  promptly. 

The  crowd  was  one  seething  mass  of  excitement. 
Robert  Morris  turned  about,  and  lifting  his  hat  from 
his  head  waved  it  high  in  the  air  amid  frantic  cheers. 
Putnam  and  his  officers  and  the  other  gentlemen  of 
the  committee  of  Congress  seized  the  hands  of  the 
two  young  officers  in  hearty  congratulation. 

"  But  there  is  something  still  more  to  tell,"  cried 
Mr.  Morris ;  "  your  ship,  her  battered  and  dismantled 
condition,  the  rents  in  the  sails  —  you  were  chased?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Seymour,  "  and  nearly  recap- 
tured. We  escaped,  however,  through  a  narrow  chan- 
nel extending  across  George's  Shoal  off  Cape  Cod, 
with  which  I  was  familiar;  and  the  English  ship,  pur- 
suing recklessly,  ran  upon  the  shoal  in  a  gale  of 
wind  and  was  wrecked,  lost  with  all  on  board." 

"Is  it  possible,  sir,  is  it  possible?  Did  you  find 
out  the  name  of  the  ship?" 

"  Yes,  sir ;  one  of  our  seamen  who  had  served  aboard 
her  recognized  her.  She  was  the  Radnor,  thirty-six 
guns." 

"  That  *s  the  ship  that  Lord  Dunmore  is  reported 
to  have  returned  to  Europe  in,"   said  Mr.  Clymer, 

153 


FOR  LOVE   OF  COUNTRY 

another  member  of  the  committee.  A  shudder  passed 
over  the  two  young  men  at  this  confirmation  of 
their  misfortunes.  Seymour  continued  with  great 
gravity,  — 

"  We  have  reason  to  believe  that  some  one  else  in 
whom  you  have  deeper  interest  than  in  Lord  Dun- 
more  was  on  board  of  her,  —  Colonel  Wilton,  one  of 
our  commissioners  to  France,  and  his  daughter  also. 
They  must  have  perished  with  the  rest." 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence,  as  the  full  extent  of 
this  calamity  was  made  known  to  the  multitude,  and 
then  a  clergyman  was  seen  pushing  his  way  nearer  to 
them. 

"What!  Mr.  Seymour!  How  do  you  do,  sir? 
Did  I  understand  you  to  say  that  all  the  company 
of  that  English  ship  perished?" 

"  Yes,  Dr.  White." 

"  And  Colonel  Wilton  and  his  daughter  also?  " 

"  Alas,  yes,  sir." 

"  I  fear  that  it  is  as  our  young  friend  says,"  added 
Robert  Morris,  gloomily.  "  I  remember  they  were  to 
go  with  Dunmore." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Morris,  our  poor  friends !  Shocking, 
shocking,  dreadful !  "  ejaculated  the  saintly-looking 
man;  "these  are  the  horrors  of  war;  "  and  then  turn- 
ing to  the  multitude,  he  said :  "  Gentlemen,  people, 
and  friends,  it  is  Christmas  eve.  We  have  our  usual 
services  at  Christ  Church  in  a  short  time.  Shall  we 
not  then  return  thanks  to  the  Giver  of  all  victory  for 
this  signal  manifestation  of  His  Providence  at  this 
dark  hour,  and  at  the  same  time  pray  for  our  be- 
reaved friends,  and  also  for  the  widows  and  orphans 
of  those  of  our  enemies  who  have  been  so  suddenly 

154 


THE   PORT  OF   PHILADELPHIA 

brought  before  their  Maker?  I  do  earnestly  invite 
you  all  to  God's  house  in  His  name." 

The  chime  of  old  Christ  Church  ringing  from  the 
steeple  near  by  seemed  to  second,  in  musical  tones, 
the  good  man's  invitation,  as  he  turned  and  walked 
away,  followed  by  a  number  of  the  citizens  of  the 
town.  General  Putnam,  however,  engaged  Talbot 
in  conversation  about  the  disposition  of  the  stores, 
while  Robert  Morris  continued  his  inquiries  as  to 
the  details  of  the  cruise  with  Seymour.  The  peril- 
ous situation  of  the  shattered  American  army  was 
outlined  to  both  of  them,  and  Talbot  received  orders, 
or  permission  rather,  to  report  the  capture  of  the 
transport  to  General  Washington  the  next  day. 
Seymour  asked  permission  to  accompany  him,  which 
was  readily  granted. 

"If  you  do  not  get  a  captain's  commission  for 
this,  Mr.  Talbot,"  continued  Putnam,  as  they  bade 
him  good-night,  "  I  shall  be  much  disappointed. " 

"And  if  you  do  not  find  a  captain's  commission 
also  waiting  for  you  on  your  return  here,  Lieutenant 
Seymour,  I  shall  also  be  much  surprised,"  added 
Robert  Morris. 

"  Give  my  regards  to  his  excellency,  and  wish 
him  a  merry  Christmas  from  me,  and  tell  him  that 
he  has  our  best  hopes  for  success  in  his  new  enter- 
prise. I  will  detach  six  hundred  men  from  Phila- 
delphia, to-morrow,  to  make  a  diversion  in  his 
behalf,"  said  the  general. 

"Yes,"  continued  Robert  Morris,  "and  I  shall  be 
obliged,  Lieutenant  Seymour,  if  you  will  call  at  my 
house  before  you  start,  and  get  a  small  bag  of  money 
which  I  shall  give  you  to  hand  to  General  Washing- 

155 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

ton,  with  my  compliments.  Tell  him  it  is  all  I  can 
raise  at  present,  and  that  I  am  ashamed  to  send  him 
so  pitiable  a  sum ;  but  if  he  will  call  upon  me  again, 
I  shall,  I  trust,  do  better  next  time." 

Bidding  each  other  adieu,  the  four  gentlemen  sep- 
arated, General  Putnam  to  arrange  for  the  distribu- 
tion and  forwarding  of  the  supplies  to  the  troops  at 
once ;  Robert  Morris  to  send  a  report  to  the  Congress, 
which  had  retreated  to  Baltimore  upon  the  approach 
of  Howe  and  Cornwallis  through  the  Jerseys;  and 
Seymour  and  Talbot  back  to  the  ship  to  make  neces- 
sary arrangements  for  their  departure. 

Seymour  shortly  afterward  turned  the  command 
of  the  Mellish  over  to  the  officer  Mr.  Morris 
designated  as  his  successor;  and  Talbot  delivered 
his  schedule  to  the  officer  appointed  by  General 
Putnam  to  receive  it.  Refusing  the  many  pressing 
invitations  to  stay  and  dine,  or  partake  of  the  other 
bounteous  hospitality  of  the  townspeople,  the  young 
men  passed  the  night  quietly  with  Seymour's  aunt, 
his  only  relative,  and  at  four  o'clock  on  Christmas 
morning,  accompanied  by  Bentley  and  Talbot,  they 
set  forth  upon  their  long  cold  ride  to  Washington's 
camp,  —  a  ride  which  was  to  extend  very  much 
farther,  however,  and  be  fraught  with  greater  con- 
sequences than  any  of  them  dreamed  of,  as  they  set 
forth  with  sad  hearts  upon  their  journey. 


156 


CHAPTER    XX 

A   Winter  Camp 

ABOUT  half  after  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
of  Wednesday,  December  25th,  being  Christ- 
mas day,  and  very  cold,  four  tired  horsemen,  on  jaded 
steeds,  rode  up  to  a  plain  stone  farmhouse  standing 
at  the  junction  of  two  common  country  roads,  both 
of  which  led  to  the  Delaware  River,  a  mile  or  so 
away.  In  the  clearing  back  of  the  house  a  few 
wretched  tents  indicated  a  bivouac.  Some  shivering 
horses  were  picketed  under  a  rude  shelter,  formed 
by  interlacing  branches  between  the  trunks  of  a  little 
grove  of  thickly  growing  trees  which  had  been  left 
standing  as  a  wind-break.  Bright  fires  blazed  in 
front  of  the  tents,  and  the  men  who  occupied  them 
were  enjoying  an  unusually  hearty  meal.  The  faded 
uniforms  of  the  men  were  tattered  and  torn ;  some  of 
the  soldiers  were  almost  barefoot,  wearing  wretched 
apologies  for  shoes,  which  had  been  supplemented 
when  practicable  by  bits  of  cloth  tied  about  the  soles 
of  the  feet.  The  men  themselves  were  gaunt  and 
haggard.  Privation,  exposure,  and  hard  fighting  had 
left  a  bitter  mark  upon  them.  Hunger  and  cold  and 
wounds  had  wrestled  with  them,  and  they  bore  the 
indelible  imprint  of  the  awful  conflict  upon  their 

157 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

faces.  It  was  greatly  to  their  credit  that,  like  their 
leader,  they  had  not  yet  despaired.  A  movement 
of  some  sort  was  evidently  in  preparation;  arms  were 
being  looked  to  carefully,  haversacks  and  pockets 
were  being  filled  with  the  rude  fare  of  which  they 
had  been  thankful  to  partake  as  a  Christmas  dinner; 
ammunition  was  being  prepared  for  transportation; 
those  who  had  them  were  wrapping  the  remains  of 
tattered  blankets  about  them,  under  the  straps  of 
their  guns  or  other  equipments;  and  the  fortunate 
possessors  of  the  ragged  adjuncts  to  shoes  were  put- 
ting final  touches  to  them,  with  a  futile  hope  that 
they  would  last  beyond  the  first  mile  or  two  of  the 
march ;  others  were  saddling  and  rubbing  down  the 
horses. 

A  welcome  contribution  had  been  made  to  their 
fare  in  a  huge  steaming  bowl  of  hot  punch,  which 
had  been  sent  from  the  farmhouse,  and  of  which  they 
had  eagerly  partaken. 

"What's  up  now,  I  wonder.?"  said  one  ragged 
veteran  to  another. 

"Don't  know  —  don't  care  —  couldn't  anything 
be  worse  than  this,"  was  the  reply. 

"  We  've  marched  and  fought  and  got  beaten,  and 
marched  and  fought  and  got  beaten  again,  and  re- 
treated and  retreated  until  there  is  nothing  left  of 
us.  Look  at  us,"  he  continued,  "half  naked,  half 
starved,  and  we  're  the  best  of  the  lot,  the  select 
force,  the  picked  men,  the  head-quarters  guard !  " 
he  went  on  in  bitter  sarcasm. 

"Yes,  that  's  so,"  replied  the  other,  laughing; 
then,  sadly,  "  Those  poor  fellows  by  the  river  are 
worse    off  than   we   are,    though.     What   would  n't 

158 


A  WINTER   CAMP 

they  give  for  some  of  that  punch?  My  soul, 
was  n't  it  good ! "  he  continued,  smacking  his  lips 
in  recollection. 

"  Where  are  we  going,  sergeant  ?  "  asked  another. 

"Don't  know;  the  command  is,  'Three  days' 
rations  and  light  marching  order. '  " 

"Well,  we're  all  of  the  last,  anyway.  Look  at 
me!  No  stockings,  leggings  torn,  no  shirt;  and 
you'd  scarcely  call  this  thing  on  my  back  a  coat, 
would  you.'  What  could  be  lighter.''  So  comfort- 
able, too,  in  this  pleasant  summer  weather!  " 

"Oh,  shut  up,  old  man;  you  're  better  off  than  I 
am,  anyway;  you  've  got  rags  to  help  your  shoes 
out,  and  just  look  at  mine,"  said  another,  sticking 
out  a  gaunt  leg  with  a  tattered  shoe  on  the  foot, 
every  toe  of  which  was  plainly  visible  through  the 
torn  and  worn  openings.  "And  just  look  at  this," 
he  went  on,  bringing  his  foot  down  hard  on  the 
snow-covered,  frost-bound  soil,  making  an  imprint 
which  was  edged  with  blood  from  his  wounded, 
bruised,  unprotected  feet.  "  That 's  my  sign-manual ; 
and  it  's  not  hard  to  duplicate  in  the  army  yonder, 
either." 

"That's  true;  and  to  think  that  the  cause  of 
liberty  's  got  down  so  low  that  we  are  its  only 
dependence.     And  they  call  us  the  grand  army !  " 

"Well,  as  you  say,"  went  on  another,  recklessly, 
"we  can't  get  into  anything  worse,  so  hurrah  for  the 
next  move,  say  I." 

"Three  days'  rations  and  light  marching  order, 
meaning,  I  suppose,  that  we  are  to  leave  our  heavy 
overcoats  and  blankets  and  foot  stoves  and  such 
other  luxuries  behind ;  that  rather  indicates  that  we 

IS9 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

are  going  to  do  something  besides  retreat;  and  I 
should  like  to  get  a  whack  at  those  mercenary  Dutch- 
men before  I  freeze  or  starve,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Bully  for  you ! " 

"I'm  with  you,  old  man." 

"I,  too." 

"And  I,"  came  from  the  group  of  undaunted  men 
surrounding  the  speaker. 

"And  to  think,"  said  another,  "of  its  being  Christ- 
mas day,  and  all  those  little  children  at  home  —  oh, 
well,"  turning  away  and  wiping  his  eyes,  "marching 
and  fighting  may  make  us  forget,  boys.  T  wouldn't 
mind  suffering  for  liberty,  if  we  could  only  do 
something,  have  something  to  show  for  it  but  a 
bloody  trail  and  a  story  of  defeat.  I  'm  tired  of  it," 
he  continued  desperately.  "  I  'd  fight  the  whole 
British  army  if  they  would  only  let  me  get  a  chance 
at  them. " 

"We  're  all  with  you  there,  man,  and  I  guess  this 
time  we  get  a  chance,"  replied  one  of  the  speakers, 
amid  a  chorus  of  approval  which  showed  the  spirit 
of  the  men. 

While  the  men  were  talking  among  themselves 
thus,  the  four  riders  on  the  tired  horses  had  ridden 
up  to  the  farmhouse.  A  soldier  dressed  no  better 
than  the  rest  stood  before  the  door. 

"  Halt !  Who  are  you  ?  "  he  cried,  presenting  his 
musket. 

"Friends.  Officers  from  Philadelphia,  with  mes- 
sages for  his  excellency,"  replied  the  foremost. 
"Don't  you  recognize  me,   my  man?" 

"Why,  it's  Lieutenant  Talbot!  Pass  in,  sir, 
and  these  other  gentlemen  with  you,"  answered  the 

i6o 


A  WINTER   CAMP 

soldier,  saluting.     "It's  glad  the  general  will  be 
to  see  you." 

Without  further  preliminaries  the  young  man 
opened  the  door  and  entered,  followed  by  his  three 
companions.  A  cheerful  fire  of  logs  was  blazing 
and  crackling  in  the  wide  fireplace  in  the  long  low 
room.  On  the  table  before  it  stood  a  great  bowl  of 
steaming  punch,  and  several  officers  were  sitting 
or  standing  about  the  room  in  various  positions. 
The  uniforms  of  all  save  that  of  one  of  them  were 
scarcely  less  worn  and  faded,  if  not  quite  so  tattered, 
than  were  those  of  the  escort ;  the  same  grim  enemies 
had  left  the  same  grim  marks  upon  them  as  upon 
the  soldiers.  The  only  well-dressed  person  in  the 
room  was  a  bright-eyed  young  man,  a  mere  boy,  just 
nineteen,  wearing  the  brilliant  uniform  of  an  officer 
of  the  French  army.  He  was  tall  and  thin,  red- 
haired,  with  a  long  nose  and  retreating  forehead ; 
his  bright  eyes  and  animated  manner  expressed  the 
interest  he  felt  in  a  conversation  carried  on  in  the 
French  language  with  his  nearest  neighbor,  another 
young  man  scarcely  a  year  his  senior.  The  contrast 
between  the  new  and  gay  French  uniform  of  the  one 
and  the  faded  Continental  dress  of  the  other  was  not 
less  startling  than  that  suggested  by  the  difference 
in  their  size.  The  American  officer  was  a  small,  a 
very  small  man;  but,  in  spite  of  his  insignificant 
stature,  the  whole  impression  of  the  man  was  strik- 
ing, and  even  imposing.  In  contrast  to  the  other, 
his  face  was  very  handsome,  the  head  finely  shaped, 
the  features  clear-cut  and  regular;  he  had  a  de- 
cisive mouth,  bespeaking  resolution  and  firmness, 
and  two  piercing  eyes  out  of  which  looked  a  will 
II  i6i 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

as    hard   and    imperious  as   ever  dwelt   in   mortal 
man. 

In  front  of  the  fire  were  two  older  men,  each  in 
the  uniform  of  a  general  officer,  one  of  thirty-five  or 
six  years  of  age,  the  other  perhaps  ten  years  older. 
The  younger  of  the  two,  a  full-faced,  intelligent, 
active,  commanding  sort  of  man,  whose  appearance 
indicated  confidence  in  himself,  and  the  light  of 
whose  alert  blue  eyes  told  of  dashing  brilliancy  in 
action  and  prompt  decision  in  perilous  moments, 
which  made  him  one  of  those  who  succeed,  would 
have  been  more  noticed  had  not  his  personality  been 
so  overshadowed  by  that  of  the  officer  who  was  speak- 
ing to  him.  The  latter  was  possessed  of  a  figure  so 
tall  that  it  dwarfed  every  other  in  the  room :  he  was 
massively  moulded,  but  well  proportioned,  with  enor- 
mous hands  and  feet,  and  long,  powerful  limbs,  which 
indicated  great  physical  force,  and  having  withal  an 
erect  and  noble  carriage,  easy  and  graceful  in  appear- 
ance, which  would  have  immediately  attracted  atten- 
tion anywhere,  even  if  his  face  had  not  been  more 
striking  than  his  figure.  He  had  a  most  noble  head, 
well  proportioned,  and  set  upon  a  beautiful  neck,  with 
the  brow  broad  and  high,  the  nose  large  and  strong 
and  slightly  aquiline;  his  large  mouth,  even  in  re- 
pose, was  set  in  a  firm,  tense,  straight  line,  with  the 
lips  so  tightly  closed  from  the  pressure  of  the  massive 
jaws  as  to  present  an  appearance  almost  painful,  the 
expression  of  it  bespeaking  indomitable  resolution 
and  unbending  determination;  his  eyes  were  a  gray- 
ish blue,  steel-colored  in  fact,  set  wide  apart,  and 
deep  in  their  sockets  under  heavy  eyebrows.  He 
wore  his  plentiful  chestnut  hair  brushed  back  from 

162 


A  WINTER   CAMP 

his  forehead,  and  tied  with  a  black  ribbon  in  a  queue 
without  powder,  as  was  the  custom  in  the  army  at 
this  juncture,  — a  fashion  of  necessity,  by  the  way; 
and  his  ruddy  face  was  burned  by  sun  and  wind  and 
exposure,  and  slightly,  though  not  unpleasantly, 
marked  with  the  smallpox. 

There  was  in  his  whole  aspect  evidence  of  such 
strength  and  force  and  power,  such  human  passion 
kept  in  control  by  relentless  will,  such  attributes  of 
command,  that  none  looked  upon  him  without  awe; 
and  the  idlest  jester,  the  lowest  and  most  insubor- 
dinate soldier,  subsided  into  silence  before  that  noble 
personality,  realizing  the  ineffable  dignity  of  the 
man.  The  grandeur  of  that  cause  which  perhaps 
even  he  scarcely  realized  while  he  sustained  it, 
looked  out  from  his  solemn  eyes  and  was  seen  in 
the  gravity  of  his  bearing.  His  was  the  battle  of 
the  people  of  the  future,  and  God  had  marked  him 
deeply  for  His  own.  And  yet  it  was  a  human  man, 
too,  and  none  of  the  immortal  gods  standing  there. 
On  occasion  his  laugh  rang  as  loudly,  or  his  heart 
beat  as  quickly  as  that  of  the  most  careless  boy 
among  his  soldiers.  He  was  fond  of  the  good  things 
of  life  too, —  loving  good  wine,  fair  women,  a  well- 
told  story,  a  good  jest,  pleasant  society,  and  delight- 
ing in  struggle  and  contest  as  well.  He  preserved 
habitually  the  just  balance  of  his  strong  nature  by 
the  exercise  of  an  unusual  self-control,  and  he  rarely 
allowed  himself  to  step  beyond  that  mean  of  true 
propriety,  so  well  called  the  happy,  except  at  long 
intervals  through  a  violent  outbreak  of  his  passionate 
temper,  rendered  more  terrible  and  blasting  from  its 
very  infrequency.     And  this  was  the  man  upon  whom 

163 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

was  laid  the  burden  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  and 
to  whom,  under  God,  were  due  the  mighty  results 
of  that  epoch-making  contest.  Seldom,  if  ever,  do 
we  see  men  of  such  rare  qualities  that  when  they 
leave  their  appointed  places  no  other  can  be  found 
to  fill  them;  but  if  such  a  one  ever  did  live,  this 
was  he. 


164 


CHAPTER   XXI 

The  Boatswain  Tells  the  Story 

ONE  or  two  other  men  were  writing  at  a  table, 
and  another  stalwart  officer  of  rank  was  sit- 
ting by  the  fire  reading.  None  of  the  four  men 
coming  into  the  room  had  seen  the  general  before, 
except  Talbot.  As  the  door  opened,  his  excellency 
glanced  up  inquiringly,  and,  recognizing  the  first 
figure,  stepped  forward  quickly,  extending  his  hand, 
all  the  other  officers  rising  and  drawing  near  at  the 
same  time. 

"  What,  Talbot !  I  trust  you  bring  good  news, 
sir?" 

"  I  do,  sir,"  said  the  young  officer,  saluting. 

"The  transport.-"'  said  the  general,  in  great 
anxiety. 

"  Captured,  sir." 

"Her  lading?" 

"  Two  thousand  muskets,  twenty  field-pieces,  pow- 
der, shot,  intrenching  tools,  other  munitions  of  war; 
ten  thousand  suits  of  winter  clothes,  blankets,  and 
shoes ;  and  four  officers  and  fifty  soldiers ;  all  bound 
for  Quebec,  where  the  British  army  is  assembling." 

"  Now  Almighty  God  be  praised  !  "  exclaimed  the 
general,  with  deep  feeling.  "  From  whence  do  you 
come  now?" 

"  From  Philadelphia,  sir." 
i6s 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  Ah  !  You  thought  best  to  take  your  prize  there 
instead  of  Boston.  It  was  a  risk,  was  it  not  ?  But 
now  that  you  are  there,  it  is  better  for  us  here.  Who 
are  your  companions,  sir?  Pray  present  them  to 
me. 

"  Lieutenant  Seymour,  sir,  of  the  navy,  who  brought 
in  the  prize."' 

"  Sir,  I  congratulate  you.     I  am  glad  to  see  you." 

"And  this  is  PhiUp  Wilton,  a  midshipman.  I 
think  you  know  him,  general." 

"  Certainly  I  do ;  the  son  of  my  old  friend  the 
commissioner,  Colonel  Wilton  of  Virginia,  now  un- 
happily a  prisoner.  You  are  very  welcome,  my  boy. 
And  who  is  this  other  man,  Talbot?  " 

**  William  Bentley,  sir,  bosun  of  the  Ranger,  at 
your  honor's  service,"  answered  the  seaman  himself 

"  Well,  my  man,"  said  the  general,  smiling,  "  if  the 
Ranger  has  many  like  you  in  her  crew,  she  must 
show  a  formidable  lot  of  men.  I  am  glad  to  see  you 
all.  These  are  my  staff,  gentlemen,  the  members  of 
my  family,  to  whom  I  present  you.  General  Greene, 
General  Knox ;  and  these  two  boys  here  are  Captain 
Alexander  Hamilton  and  the  Marquis  de  La  Fayette, 
a  volunteer  from  France,  who  comes  to  serve  our 
country  without  money  or  without  price,  for  love  of 
liberty.  This  is  Major  Harrison,  this  Captain  Laurens, 
this  Captain  Morris  of  the  Philadelphia  troop,  our 
only  cavalry;  they  serve  like  the  marquis,  for  love  of 
liberty.  I  know  not  how  I  could  dispense  with  them." 
The  gentlemen  mentioned  bowed  ceremoniously,  and 
some  of  them  shook  hands  with  the  new-comers. 

"Billy,"  continued  Washington,  turning  to  his 
black  servant,  "  I  wish  you  to  get  something  to  eat 

166 


THE  BOATSWAIN   TELLS  THE   STORY 

for  these  gentlemen.  It 's  only  bread  and  meat  that 
we  can  offer  you,  I  am  sorry  to  say;  we  are  not 
living  in  a  very  luxurious  style  at  present,  —  on  rather 
short  rations,  on  the  contrary.  But  meanwhile  you 
will  take  a  glass  of  this  excellent  punch  with  us, 
and  we  will  drink  to  a  merry  Christmas.  Fill  your 
glasses,  gentlemen  all.  Your  news  is  the  first  good 
news  we  have  had  for  so  long  that  we  have  almost 
forgot  what  good  news  is.  It  is  certainly  very  pleasant 
for  us,  eh,  gentlemen?  Now  give  us  some  of  the  de- 
tails of  the  capture  of  the  transport.  How  was  it? 
You,  Mr.  Seymour,  are  the  sailor  of  the  party;  do 
you  tell  us  about  it." 

Then,  in  that  rude  farmhouse  among  the  hills  on 
that  bitter  winter  day,  Seymour  told  the  story  of  the 
sighting  of  the  convoy,  and  the  ruse  by  which  the 
capture  of  the  two  ships  had  been  effected,  at  which 
General  Washington  laughed  heartily.  Then  he  de- 
scribed in  a  graphic  seamanlike  way  the  wonderful 
night  action ;  the  capture  of  the  Juno  by  the  heroic 
captain  of  the  Ranger,  the  successful  escape  of  that 
ship  from  the  frigate,  and  the  sinking  of  the  Juno. 
He  was  interrupted  from  time  to  time  by  exclama- 
tions and  deep  gasps  of  excitement  from  the  officers 
crowding  about  him ;  even  Billy  bringing  the  dinner 
put  it  down  unheeded,  and  listened  with  his  eyes  glis- 
tening. And  then  Seymour  delivered  Jones's  mes- 
sage to  General  Washington. 

"  Wonderful  man  !  wonderful  man  !  "  he  said.  "  We 
shall  hear  of  him,  I  think,  in  the  English  Channel ;  and 
the  English  also,  which  is  more  to  the  point.  But 
your  own  ship  —  had  you  an  eventless  passage,  Mr. 
Seymour?     And,  gentlemen,  you  look  as  solemn  as  if 

167 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

you  were  the  bearers  of  bad  news  instead  of  good 
tidings,  or  had  been  retreating  with  us  for  the  past 
six  months.  Thank  goodness,  that 's  about  over  to- 
night. Fill  your  glasses,  gentlemen.  'T  is  Christmas 
day.  Now  for  your  own  story.  Did  you  meet  an 
enemy's  ship?" 

"We  did,  sir.  —  Talbot,  you  tell  the  story." 

"  No,  no,  I  cannot ;   't  is  your  part,  Seymour." 

Here,  in  the  presence  of  friends,  and  friends  who 
knew  and  loved  Colonel  Wilton  and  his  daughter, 
neither  of  the  young  men  felt  equal  to  the  tale. 
Each  day  brought  home  to  them  their  bitter  sorrow 
more  powerfully  than  before,  and  each  hour  but 
deepened  the  anguish  in  their  hearts. 

"  Why,  what  is  this  }  What  has  happened  ?  The 
transport  is  safe,  you  said,"  continued  the  general,  in 
some  anxiety.     "What  is  it?" 

"  I  can  tell,  if  your  honor  pleases,  sir,"  said  the 
deep  voice  of  Bentley. 

"  Speak,  man,  speak." 

"  It  happened  this  way,  sir :  we  were  off  Cape  Cod, 
heading  northwest  by  west  for  Boston,  about  a  week 
ago,  close  hauled  on  the  starboard  tack  in  a  half 
gale  of  wind.  Your  honor  knows  what  the  starboard 
tack  is?" 

"  Yes,  yes,  certainly ;   go  on." 

"  When  about  three  bells  in  the  afternoon  watch,  — 
your  honor  knows  what  three  bells  —  Ay,  ay,  sir," 
continued  the  seaman,  noting  the  general's  impatient 
nod.  "  Well,  sir,  we  spied  a  large  sail  coming  down 
on  us  fast;  we  ran  off  free,  she  following.  Pretty 
soon  we  made  her  out  a  frigate,  a  heavy  frigate  of 
thirty-six  guns,  and  a  fast  one  too,  for  she  rapidly 

i68 


THE  BOATSWAIN   TELLS  THE   STORY 

overhauled  us.  We  cracked  on  sail,  even  setting 
the  topmast  stunsail,  till  it  blew  away.  Then  we  cut 
away  bulwarks  and  rails,  flattened  the  sails  by  jiggers 
on  the  sheets  and  halliards  until  they  set  like  boards, 
pumped  her  out,  cast  adrift  the  boats,  cut  away 
anchors,  but  it  was  n't  any  use ;  she  kept  a-gaining 
on  us.  By  and  by  we  came  to  George's  Shoal  ex- 
tending about  three  leagues  across  our  course  to 
the  southeast  of  Cape  Cod.  There  is  a  pass  through 
the  shoal;  Lieutenant  Seymour  knows  it,  we  sur- 
veyed it  this  last  summer.  We  brought  the  ship  to 
on  the  wind  on  the  same  tack  again,  near  the  shoal, 
and  ran  for  the  mouth  of  the  pass.  The  frigate  edged 
off  to  run  us  down.  Lieutenant  Talbot  broke  out  a 
field-piece  from  the  hold  and  mounted  it  as  a  stern- 
chaser,  and  used  it  too  —  " 

"  Good !  well  done !  "  said  the  general,  nodding 
approvingly.     "  Go  on." 

"  We  came  to  the  mouth  of  the  pass.  The  frigate 
fired  a  broadside.  One  shot  carried  away  the  mizzen 
topgallant  mast;  another  sent  a  shower  of  splinters 
inboard,  killing  the  man  at  the  wheel.  The  ship  falls 
off  and  enters  the  pass.  I  seize  the  helm.  Mr.  Sey- 
mour conned  us  through.  The  frigate  chased  madly 
after  us.  She  sees  the  breakers ;  she  can't  follow  us, 
draws  too  much  water;  she  makes  an  effort  to  back 
off.  It  is  too  late ;  she  strikes.  The  wind  rises  to  a 
heavy  gale.  We  see  her  go  to  pieces,  and  never  a 
soul  left  to  tell  the  story,  never  a  plank  of  her  that 
hangs  together.  She 's  gone,  and  we  go  free.  That 's 
all,  your  honor,  and  may  God  have  mercy  on  their 
souls,  say  I,"  added  the  solemn  voice  of  the  boat- 
swain in  the  silence. 

169 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  A  frightful  catastrophe,  indeed,  and  a  terrible  one ! 
I  do  not  wonder  at  your  sadness.  But,  young  gen- 
tlemen, do  not  take  it  so  to  heart.  It  is  the  fate  of 
war,  and  war  is  always  frightful." 

"Did  you  find  out  the  name  of  the  ship,  boat- 
swain?" asked  General  Greene. 

"  Yes,  your  honor ;  the  Radnor,  thirty-six." 

"  Could  no  one  have  been  saved?"  queried  Gen- 
eral Knox. 

"  No  one,  sir.  No  boat  could  have  lived  in  that 
sea  a  moment.  We  could  n't  put  back,  could  do  no 
good  if  we  had,  and  so  we  came  on  to  Philadelphia, 
and  that 's  all." 

"No,  general,"  cried  Seymour;  "it's  not  all.  We 
will  tell  the  general  the  whole  story,  Talbot.  You 
remember,  sir,  the  raid  on  the  Wilton  place  and  the 
capture  of  the  colonel  and  his  daughter?"  The 
general  nodded.  "  Well,  sir,  before  the  Ranger 
sailed,  I  received  a  note  from  Miss  Wilton  saying 
they  were  to  be  sent  to  England  in  the  Radnor." 

"You  received  the  note?  I  thought  she  was  Mr. 
Talbot's  betrothed,  Mr.  Seymour !  " 

"  I  thought  so  too,  general ;  but  it  seems  that  we 
are  both  wrong.  Lieutenant  Seymour  captured  her 
during  his  visit  there  with  Colonel  Wilton,"  said 
Talbot,  with  a  faint  smile. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  for  you,  Talbot,  and  you  are  a 
fortunate  man,  Mr.  Seymour.  But  go  on ;  we  are  all 
friends  here.  Did  you  say  they  were  to  go  on  the 
Radnor?" 

"  Yes,  sir.  The  pursuing  frigate  was  recognized 
by  one  of  my  men  who  had  been  pressed  and  flogged 
while  on  her,  as  the  Radnor,  the  ship  on  which  they 

170 


THE   BOATSWAIN   TELLS  THE   STORY 

were.  I  heard  the  man  say  so  just  as  we  neared  the 
reef.  To  go  through  the  pass  was  to  lead  the  Eng- 
glish  ship  to  destruction  and  cause  the  death  of 
those  we  —  of  the  colonel,  sir,"  continued  Seymour, 
in  some  confusion.  "To  refrain  from  attempting 
the  pass  was  to  lose  the  ship  and  all  it  meant  for  our 
cause.  I  could  not  decide.  I  say  frankly  I  could 
not  condemn  those  I  —  our  friends  to  death,  and  I 
could  not  lose  the  ship  either.  This  old  man  knew 
it  all.  He  has  known  me  from  a  child.  He  spoke 
out  boldly,  and  laid  my  duty  before  me,  and  pleaded 
with  me  —  " 

"He  did  not  need  it,  your  honor.  No,  sir;  he 
would  have  done  it  anyway,"  interrupted  Bentley. 

The  general  took  the  hand  of  the  embarrassed  old 
boatswain  and  shook  it  warmly;  then,  fixing  his 
glowing  eyes  upon  the  two  young  men,  said,  — 

"  Continue,  Mr.  Seymour." 

"  I  know  not  what  I  might  have  done,  but  the  old 
seaman's  appeal  to  my  honor  decided  me.  I  went 
aft  with  horror  in  my  heart,  but  resolved  to  do  my 
duty.  On  my  way  there  I  took  out  of  my  pocket  the 
little  note  received  from  Miss  Wilton ;  a  gust  of  wind 
blew  it  to  the  hand  of  Mr.  Talbot.  It  was  only  a  line. 
As  he  picked  it  up,  he  read  it  involuntarily.  We  had 
some  words.     I  drew  on  him,  sir.     It  was  my  fault." 

"  No,  no,  general,  the  fault  was  mine  !  "  interrupted 
Talbot.  "  I  said  it  was  my  letter,  refused  to  give 
it  up,  insulted  him.  He  would  have  arrested  me. 
Bentley  and  Philip  interfered.  I  taunted  him,  ad- 
vanced to  strike  him.  He  had  to  draw  or  be  dis- 
honored." 

"  Nay,  general,  but  the  fault  was  mine.  I  was  the 
171 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

captain  of  the  ship ;  the  safety  of  the  ship  depended 
on  me." 

"  Go  on,  go  on,  Mr.  Seymour,"  said  the  general ; 
"this  dispute  does  honor  to  you  both." 

"  The  rest  happened  as  has  been  told  you.  One 
of  the  splinters  struck  Mr.  Talbot's  sword  and  swept 
it  into  the  sea;  the  note  went  with  it,  and  then  the 
frigate  was  wrecked,  and  Colonel  Wilton  and  his 
daughter,  with  all  the  rest,  lost." 

It  was  very  still  in  the  room. 

"  My  poor  friend,  my  poor  friend,"  murmured  the 
general,  "  and  that  charming  girl.  Without  a  mo- 
ment's warning  !  Young  gentlemen,"  taking  each  of 
the  young  men  by  the  hand,  "  I  honor  you.  You 
have  deserved  well  of  our  country,  —  for  the  frankness 
with  which  one  of  you  admits  his  fault,  for  it  was  a  fault, 
and  takes  the  blame  upon  himself,  and  for  the  heroic 
resolution  by  which  the  other  sacrifices  his  love  for 
his  duty.  Laurens,  make  out  a  captain's  commission 
for  Mr.  Talbot.  Hamilton,  I  wish  you  would  write 
out  a  general  order  declaring  the  capture  of  the  trans- 
port and  her  lading,  and  the  sinking  of  the  Juno 
and  the  wreck  of  the  English  frigate ;  it  will  hearten 
the  men  for  our  enterprise  to-night.  As  for  you,  Mr. 
Seymour,  I  shall  use  what  little  influence  I  may  be 
able  to  exert  to  get  you  a  ship  at  once  ;  meantime,  as 
we  contemplate  attacking  the  enemy  at  last,  I  shall 
be  glad  to  offer  you  a  position  as  volunteer  on  my 
staff  for  a  few  days,  if  your  duties  will  permit.  And 
to  you,  Philip,  let  me  be  a  father  indeed  —  my  poor 
boy!  As  for  you,  boatswain,  what  can  I  do  for 
you?" 

"  Nothing,  your  honor,  nothing,  sir.  You  have 
172 


THE  BOATSWAIN   TELLS  THE   STORY 

shaken  me  by  the  hand,  and  that 's  enough."  The 
old  man  hesitated,  and  then,  seeing  only  kindness  in 
the  general's  face,  for  the  old  sailor  attracted  and 
pleased  him,  he  went  on  softly :  "  Ay,  love 's  a  mighty 
thing,  your  honor;  we  knows  it,  we  old  men.  And 
love  of  woman 's  strong,  they  say,  but  these  boys 
have  shown  us  that  something  else  is  stronger." 
"And  what  is  that,  pray,  my  friend?" 
"  Love  of  country,  sir,"  said  Bentley,  in  the  silence. 


173 


CHAPTER   XXII 

Washington  —  a  Man  with  Human  Passions 

HALF  an  hour  later,  after  the  four  travellers  had 
taken  some  refreshment,  hasty  steps  were 
heard  outside  the  door,  followed  by  the  sentry's  hail. 

"  Ah !  "  said  the  general,  looking  up  eagerly  from 
the  book  he  had  been  reading,  "  perhaps  that  is  Mr. 
Martin  with  news  from  the  enemy."  Then  laying  aside 
his  book,  he  rose  to  his  feet  to  meet  the  new-comer, 
who  proved  to  be  the  man  he  had  expected.  The 
young  man  stood  at  attention  and  saluted,  while  the 
general  addressed  him  sharply,  — 

"  Well,  sir,  what  have  you  learned?  " 

The  young  officer  appeared  extremely  embar- 
rassed. "I  —  well,  the  fact  is,  sir,  nothing  at  all," 
he  stammered. 

"  Nothing !  "  said  the  general,  loudly,  with  rising 
heat,  "  nothing,  sir  !  Did  you  not  cross  the  river  as 
I  directed  you?  " 

"  No,  sir.  That  is,  I  tried  to,  but  there  was  so 
much  floating  ice,  and  it  was  so  difficult  to  manage  a 
boat  that  I  thought  it  would  be  hardly  worth  while 
to  attempt  it,  sir.  In  fact,  the  crossing  is  imprac- 
ticable for  troops,"  he  went  on  more  confidently;  but 
his  face  changed  as  he  looked  up  at  his  infuriated 
superior.  The  general  was  a  picture  of  wrath;  the 
lines  in  his  forehead  standing  out  plainly,  his  mouth 

1/4 


WASHINGTON 

shut  more  tightly  and  grimly  than  ever.  It  was 
evident  that  he  was  furiously  angry,  and  his  face  had 
in  it  something  terrible  from  his  rage.  The  young 
officer  stood  before  him  now,  white  and  frightened  to 
death. 

"  I  saw  him  this  way  at  Kip's  Landing,"  whispered 
Hamilton  to  Seymour.  "  Look  !  he  has  lost  control 
of  himself  completely,  there  will  be  an  explosion 
sure." 

The  general  struggled  for  a  moment,  and  then  broke 
away. 

*'  Impracticable,  sir !  impracticable !  "  he  roared 
out  in  a  voice  of  thunder.  "  How  dare  you  say  what 
this  army  can  or  can  not  do !  And  what  do  you 
mean  by  not  crossing  the  river  and  ascertaining  the 
facts  I  desire  to  know ! "  The  next  moment  he 
stepped  forward  and,  seizing  a  heavy  leaden  inkstand 
from  the  table  near  him,  threw  it  with  all  his  force 
full  at  the  man,  crying  fiercely,  — 

"  Damnation,  sir !     Be  off  and  send  me  a  many 

The  officer  dodged  the  missile,  which  struck  the 
wall  with  a  crash,  saluted,  and  ran  out  of  the  door 
as  if  his  life  depended  on  it;  feeling  in  his  heart  that 
he  would  face  any  danger  rather  than  brave  another 
storm  of  wrath  like  that  he  had  just  sustained.  The 
general  continued  to  pace  up  and  down  the  room 
restlessly  for  a  few  moments,  until  he  recovered  his 
composure. 

"  I  depended  upon  that  information,  and  I  must 
have  it,"  he  soliloquized.  "  If  that  man  does  not  bring 
it  back  to  us  before  we  cross  the  river,  I  '11  have  him 
cashiered.  Shall  I  send  another  man?  No,  I  '11  give 
him  another  chance." 

175 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

Seymour  picked  up  the  book  the  general  had 
been  reading.  It  was  the  Bible,  and  open  at  the 
twenty-second  chapter  of  the  Book  of  Joshua.  His 
eye  fell  full  upon  the  twenty-second  verse,  which  was 
marked.  "  The  Lord  God  of  gods,  the  Lord  God  of 
gods,  he  knoweth,  and  Israel  he  shall  know;  if  it  be 
in  rebellion,  or  if  in  transgression  against  the  Lord, 
(save  us  not  this  day.)  " 

Just  then  the  little  daughter  of  Keith,  the  owner  of 
the  farmhouse  at  which  they  were  staying,  entered 
the  room.  As  the  little  miss  came  up  fearlessly  to 
the  general,  he  stopped  and  smiled  down  at  her. 

"  Father  and  mother  wish  to  know  if  you  will  want 
supper  to-night,  sir?  " 

"  No,  my  little  maid,"  he  replied ;  "  not  here,  at 
any  rate.  And  which  do  you  like  the  better  now, 
the  Redcoats  or  the  Continentals?  " 

"  The  Redcoats,  sir,  they  have  such  pretty  clothes," 
said  the  nascent  woman. 

"  Ah,  my  dear,"  he  replied  blithely,  catching  her 
up  in  his  arms  and  kissing  her  the  while,  "  they  look 
better,  but  they  don't  fight.  The  ragged  fellows  are 
the  boys  for  fighting." 

"  Singular  man  !  "  mused  Seymour,  contrasting  the 
outbreak  of  wrath  at  the  recalcitrant  officer,  the  open 
Bible  he  had  been  reading,  and  the  last  merry,  tender 
greeting  to  the  child.  But  his  musings  were  inter- 
rupted by  the  general  himself,  speaking. 

"  General  Greene,  you  would  better  ride  over  to  the 
landing  and  place  the  different  brigades ;  take  Hamil- 
ton with  you,  and  perhaps  General  Knox  will  go  also 
to  look  out  for  the  artillery.  The  brigades  were  to 
start  at  three  o'clock  for  McConkey's  Ford,  and  the 

176 


WASHINGTON 

nearest  of  them  should  be  there  now.  We  shall  move 
in  two  divisions  after  we  leave  Birmingham  on  the 
other  side.  I  wish  you  to  command  the  first  one, 
which  will  comprise  the  brigades  of  Sterling,  Mercer, 
and  De  Fermoy,  with  Hand's  riflemen  and  Hauseg- 
ger's  Germans  and  Forest's  battery.  I  shall  accom- 
pany your  column.  General  Sullivan  will  take  the 
second  division,  with  Sargeant's  and  St.  Clair's 
brigades,  and  Glover's  Marblehead  men,  and  Stark's 
New  Hampshire  riflemen.  The  two  columns  will 
divide  at  Birmingham.  You  will  take  the  east,  or 
inland  road,  and  Sullivan  that  by  the  river.  Have  you 
that  order  I  spoke  of  for  the  troops,  Mr.  Hamilton? 
If  so,  you  will  give  a  copy  of  it  to  General  Greene, 
who  will  publish  it  to  the  troops  as  soon  as  they 
arrive.  Captain  Morris,  I  think  you  would  better  go 
also.  You  will  muster  your  troop ;  the  men  will 
have  returned  from  carrying  my  orders  to  the  differ- 
ent brigades,  and  can  be  assembled  once  more.  I 
desire  you  to  attend  my  person  to-night  as  our  only 
cavalry.  Talbot,  you  would  better  go  with  General 
Greene ;  you  also,  marquis,  so  that  you  can  be  with 
your  friend  Captain  Hamilton.  The  rest  of  us  will 
follow  you  shortly." 

The  officers  designated  bowed,  and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments were  on  the  road.  The  officers  left  at  the 
headquarters  were  speedily  busy  with  their  necessary 
duties,  and  Seymour  and  his  two  companions,  one  of 
whom,  the  boatswain,  was  most  unfamiliar  with  and 
uncomfortable  upon  a  horse,  were  able  to  get  a 
couple  of  hours  of  needed  rest  before  starting  out 
upon  what  they  felt  would  be  an  arduous  journey. 
About  half  after  six  o'clock  the  signal  to  mount  was 

12  lyj 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

given,  and  the  whole  party,  led  by  the  general  him- 
self, and  followed  by  the  ragged  guard,  was  soon 
upon  the  road. 

It  was  intensely  cold,  and  the  night  bade  fair  to  be 
the  severest  of  the  winter.  The  sky  was  cloudless, 
however,  and  there  was  a  bright  moon. 


178 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
Lieutenant  Martin's  Lesson 

AS  they  rode  along  slowly,  the  general  explained 
his  plans.  General  Howe  had  pursued  him 
relentlessly  through  the  Jerseys,  until  he  had  crossed 
into  Pennsylvania,  only  escaping  further  pursuit  and 
certain  defeat  because  he  had  had  the  forethought 
to  seize  every  boat  upon  the  Delaware  and  its  trib- 
utaries for  miles  in  every  direction,  and  bring  them 
with  his  army  to  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  so  that 
Howe  was  unable  to  cross.  The  English  general 
had  threatened,  however,  to  wait  until  the  river  was 
frozen  and  then  cross  on  the  ice,  and  after  brushing 
aside  the  miserable  remains  of  Washington's  army, 
march  on  to  Philadelphia  and  establish  himself  in  the 
rebel  capital.  Making  that  most  serious  of  mistakes 
for  a  military  man  of  despising  his  opponents,  Howe 
had  scattered  his  army,  for  convenience  in  quartering, 
in  various  small  detachments  along  the  river.  The 
small  American  army,  supplemented  by  the  Pennsyl- 
vania militia,  had  been  placed  opposite  the  different 
fords  from  Yardley  to  New  Hope,  to  hold  the  enemy 
in  check  in  case  an  attempt  should  be  made  to  force 
a  crossing. 

The  fortunes  of  the  country  were  at  the  lowest  ebb. 
But  there  was  to  be  a  speedy  reversal  of  conditions, 

179 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

and  the  world  was  to  learn  how  dangerous  a  man 
was  leading  the  Continental  troops.  Washington,  to 
whom  a  retreat  was  as  hateful  as  it  had  been  neces- 
sary, had  long  meditated  an  attack  whenever  any- 
chance  whatever  of  success  might  present  itself  The 
necessity  for  a  change  was  apparent,  not  merely  for 
the  material  result  which  would  flow  from  a  victory, 
but  for  the  moral  effect  as  well.  The  fancied  secur- 
ity of  the  enemy,  their  exposed  positions,  discon- 
nected from  each  other,  and  the  contempt  they  felt 
for  his  own  troops,  were  large  factors  in  determining 
him  to  strike  then ;  but  another  factor  had  still  more 
weight,  and  that  was  the  fact  that  the  time  of  the 
enlistment  of  nearly  the  whole  of  his  own  army  ex- 
pired with  the  end  of  the  year,  and  whatever  was  to 
be  done  must  be  done  quickly.  He  therefore  con- 
ceived the  daring  and  brilliant  design  of  suddenly 
collecting  his  scattered  forces,  crossing  the  river,  and 
falling  upon  his  unsuspecting  enemy  at  Trenton, 
where  a  small  brigade  of  Hessians,  under  Colonel 
Rahl,  was  stationed. 

It  would  be  a  piece  of  unparalleled  audacity.  To 
turn,  as  it  were,  just  before  the  dissolution  of  his 
army,  and  cross  a  wide  and  deep  river  full  of  ice,  in 
the  dead  of  winter,  and  strike,  like  the  hammer  of 
Thor,  upon  his  unwary  foe,  rudely  disturbing  his 
complacent  dreams,  was  a  conception  of  exceeding 
brilliancy,  and  it  at  once  stamped  Washington  as  a 
military  genius  of  the  first  order.  And  with  such  an 
army  to  make  such  an  attempt!  Said  one  of  the 
officers  of  the  period  in  his  memoirs:  "An  army 
without  cavalry,  partially  provided  with  artillery,  de- 
ficient in  transportation  for  the  little   they  had   to 

t8o 


LIEUTENANT   MARTIN'S   LESSON 

carry;  without  tents,  tools,  or  camp  equipage, — 
without  magazines  of  any  kind;  half  clothed,  badly 
armed,  debilitated  by  disease,  disheartened  by  mis- 
fortune." But  their  leader  was  a  Lion,  and  the  Lion 
was  at  last  at  bay !  There  was  another  factor  which 
contributed  greatly  to  the  efficiency  of  the  army,  and 
that  was  the  high  quality  and  overwhelming  number 
of  the  American  officers. 

Orders  had  been  given  to  the  brigades  and  troops 
mentioned  to  concentrate  at  McConkey's  Ferry,  about 
nine  miles  above  Trenton.  Another  division  under 
Ewing  was  to  cross  a  mile  below  Trenton  and  seize 
the  bridge  and  fords  across  the  Assunpink,  to  check 
the  retreat  of  the  enemy  and  co-operate  with  the 
main  attack. 

Cadwalader's  Pennsylvania  militia  under  Gates  were 
to  cross  at  Bristol  or  below  Burlington,  and  attack 
Von  Donop  at  that  point,  while  Putnam,  in  conjunc- 
tion with  him,  was  to  make  a  diversion  from  Philadel- 
phia. The  movements  were  to  be  simultaneous,  and 
the  result  it  was  hoped  would  accord  with  the  effort. 
The  main  column,  and  the  one  upon  which  the  most 
dependence  was  to  be  placed,  was  that  which  Wash- 
ington himself  was  to  accompany,  which  was  com- 
posed of  veteran  Continentals,  to  the  number  of 
twenty-four  hundred,  with  eighteen  pieces  of  artillery. 

All  this  was  briefly  explained  by  the  general  to 
Seymour  and  the  staff,  while  they  rode  slowly  along 
the  frozen  road.  About  eight  o'clock  they  arrived 
at  the  ford,  near  which  the  troops  who  had  arrived 
before  them  now  stood  shivering  on  the  high  ground 
by  the  river.  A  few  fires  were  burning  in  the 
ravines  back  of  the  banks,  around  which  the  men 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

took  turns  in  warming  themselves,  as  they  munched 
their  frugal  fare  from  the  haversacks.  A  large  num- 
ber of  boats  had  been  collected  for  their  transporta- 
tion, but  the  river  itself  was  in  a  most  unpromising 
condition,  full  of  great  cakes  of  ice  which  the  swift 
current  kept  churning  and  grinding  against  each 
other. 

The  general  surveyed  the  scene  in  silence,  as  his 
staff  and  the  general  officers  gathered  about  him. 

"There  is  something  moving  in  the  river,  general," 
suddenly  said  Seymour,  pointing,  his  practised  eye 
detecting  a  dark  object  among  the  cakes  of  ice.  "  It 
is  a  boat,  sir !  " 

"  Ah,"  replied  the  general,  "  you  have  sharp  eyes. 
"Where  is  it?" 

"  There,  sir,  coming  nearer  every  minute ;  there  is 
a  man  in  it." 

"  I  see  now.     So  there  is.     Who  can  it  be?  " 

"  Probably  it  is  Lieutenant  Martin,"  remarked 
General  Greene,  quietly.  "You  know  you  sent  him 
back." 

"  Oh,  so  I  did,"  replied  the  general,  nodding  sternly 
at  the  recollection.  Meanwhile  the  man  in  the  boat 
was  skilfully  making  his  way  between  the  great  cakes 
of  ice,  which  threatened  every  moment  to  crush  his 
frail  skiff.  He  rapidly  drew  near  until  he  finally 
jumped  ashore,  and,  having  tied  his  boat,  hastened 
up  to  where  the  general  sat  on  his  horse.  He 
stopped. 

"  I  have  been  across,  general,"  he  said,  saluting. 

"  So  I  perceive,  sir.     How  did  you  get  across?  " 

"When  I  left  you,  sir,  this  afternoon,"  went  on  the 
young  man,  gravely,  "  I  was  in  such  a  hurry  that  I 

182 


LIEUTENANT   MARTIN'S   LESSON 

did  not  wait  for  anything.     I  swam  it,  sir,  with  ray 
horse." 

"  Swam  it ! " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Very  well  done,  indeed  !     Was  it  cold  ?  " 

"  Not  very,  sir.  At  least  I  was  too  excited  to  feel 
it,  and  a  good  hard  gallop  on  the  other  side  soon 
warmed  me  up." 

"  Where  did  your  ride  take  you  ?  " 

"  Almost  to  Trenton,  sir." 

"  And  what  is  the  situation  there?" 

*'  Very  confident,  the  guard  very  negligent,  the 
men  carousing  in  the  houses.  I  examined  both 
roads,  and  neither  of  them  is  well  picketed.  I  should 
think  a  surprise  would  not  be  very  difficult,  sir." 

**  Humph  !     Where  's  your  horse?  " 

"  He  fell  dead  on  the  other  side  just  as  I  got  back. 
I  found  that  leaky  skiff,  and  came  over  to  report,  sir." 

"  You  have  done  well,  Mr.  Martin,  very  well  indeed  ! 
I  think  you  must  have  found  that  man  I  sent  you 
for !  "  continued  the  general,  smiling  grimly,  while 
the  young  soldier  blushed  with  pleasure.  "  Mean- 
while we  must  get  you  another  horse.  Who  has  a 
spare  one?  " 

"  May  it  please  your  honor,"  spoke  out  Bentley, 
who  had  attached  himself  to  Seymour,  "he  can  have 
mine.  I  am  as  much  at  sea  on  him  as  you  would  be 
on  the  royal  yard,  begging  your  honor's  pardon, 
and  I  '11  feel  better  carrying  a  gun  or  pulling  an  oar 
with  the  men  there  than  here." 

The  general  laughed. 

"  There  's  your  horse,  Mr.  Martin.  Where  do  you 
belong,  sir?" 

183 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  To  Colonel  Stark's  regiment,  sir," 

"  Good  !  Keep  at  it  as  you  have  begun  and  you 
will  meet  with  a  better  reception  when  you  call  upon 
me  again.  Now  God  grant  that  fortune  may  favor 
us.  Gentlemen,  if  the  brigades  are  all  up,  we  will 
undertake  the  crossing.  It  looks  dangerous,  but  it 
can  be  done  —  it  must  be  done.  Who  will  lead 
us?" 

"  I  will,  sir,  with  your  permission,  with  my  Marble- 
head  fishermen,"  said  Colonel  Glover,  stepping  out. 

"Ah,  gentlemen,  this  is  our  marine  regiment.  Go 
on,  sir !  You  shall  have  the  right  of  way  across  the 
river.  I  think  none  will  dispute  it  with  you.  Mr. 
Seymour,  as  a  seaman,  perhaps  you  can  render  effi- 
cient service,  and  your  boatswain  will  find  here  more 
opportunities  for  his  peculiar  talents  than  in  carrying 
a  musket.  General  Greene,  will  you  and  your  staff  go 
over  with  the  first  boat  to  make  proper  disposition 
of  the  brigades  as  they  arrive?  I  shall  come  over 
after  the  first  division  has  passed.  Then  General 
Sullivan,  and  lastly  our  friend  General  Knox  with  his 
artillery.  I  expect  we  shall  have  to  wait  for  him. 
Well,  we  cannot  dispense  with  either  him  or  the 
guns." 

"  You  won't  have  to  wait  any  longer  than  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  get  the  guns  and  horses  over, 
general." 

"  I  know  that,  Knox,  I  know  that.  Now,  gentle- 
men, forward  !   and  may  God  bless  you  !  " 

In  a  few  moments  the  terrible  passage  began. 


184 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

Crossing  the  Delaware 

THE  men,  divided  into  small  squads,  marched 
down  to  the  boats,  —  large  unwieldy  scows, 
which  had  been  hauled  up  against  the  shore,  —  and 
each  boat  was  speedily  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity. 
The  most  experienced  seized  the  oars ;  three  or  four 
Marblehead  fishermen  armed  with  long  poles  took 
their  stations  forward  and  aft  along  the  upper  side  of 
the  boat,  with  one  to  steer  and  one  to  command;  and 
then,  seizing  a  favorable  opportunity,  the  boat  was 
pushed  off  from  the  shore,  and  threading  its  way 
in  and  out  between  the  enormous  ice-cakes  grinding 
down  upon  her,  the  difficult  and  dangerous  passage 
began.  Should  the  heavily  laden  boat  be  overturned, 
very  few  of  its  occupants  would  be  able  to  reach  the 
shore.  Once  on  the  other  side,  the  fishermen  took 
the  boat  back,  and  the  weary  process  was  gone  over 
again.  Fortunately  it  was  yet  bright  moonlight, 
though  ominous  clouds  were  banking  up  in  the  north- 
east, and  everything  could  be  clearly  seen  ;  each  boat 
was  perfectly  visible  all  the  way  across  to  the  eager 
watchers  on  the  shore,  and  a  sigh  of  relief  went  up 
after  each  fortunate  passage.  In  this  labor  Seymour 
and  Bentley,  and  in  a  less  degree  Philip  Wilton,  aided 
Colonel  Glover's  men;  Seymour  having  the  helm  of 
one  boat  continuously,  Bentley  that  of  another. 

About  half-past  nine  it  was  reported   to   General 
185 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

Washington  that  all  of  the  first  division  had  crossed, 
and  the  boat  was  now  ready  for  him  according  to  his 
orders.  The  largest  and  best  boat  had  been  selected 
for  the  commander-in-chief,  one  sufficiently  capa- 
cious to  receive  his  horses  and  those  of  his  staff  who 
accompanied  him.  Seymour  was  to  steer  the  boat; 
Bentley  stood  in  the  bow ;  Colonel  Glover  stationed 
himself  amidships,  with  three  or  four  of  his  trustiest 
men,  to  superintend  the  crossing,  and  all  the  oars 
were  manned  by  the  hardy  fishermen  instead  of  the 
soldiers.  The  general  dismounted  and  walked  toward 
the  boat,  leading  his  horse.  Just  as  he  was  about  to 
enter,  an  officer  on  a  panting  steed  rode  up  rapidly, 
and  saluted. 

"  General  Washington }  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  A  letter,  sir !  " 

"What  a  time  is  this  to  hand  me  letters!  " 

"Your  excellency,  I  have  been  charged  to  do  so 
by  General  Gates. " 

"  By  General  Gates !     Where  is  he  ?  " 

"I  left  him  this  morning  in  Philadelphia,  sir." 

"What  was  he  doing  there?  " 

"I  understood  him  that  he  was  on  his  way  to 
Congress. " 

"On  his  way  to  Congress!"  said  the  general 
earnestly,  with  much  surprise  and  disgust  in  his 
tone.  And  then,  after  a  pause,  he  broke  the  seal 
and  read  the  letter,  frowning;  after  which  he 
crumpled  the  paper  up  in  his  hand,  and  then  turned 
again  to  the  officer.     "How  did  you  find  us,  sir.-*  " 

"  I  followed  the  bloody  footprints  of  the  men  on 
the  snow,  sir. " 

i86 


CROSSING   THE   DELAWARE 

"Poor  fellows!  Did  you  learn  anything  of  Gen- 
eral Ewing  or  General  Cadwalader?  " 

"No,  sir." 

"  And  General  Putnam  ?  " 

"  He  bade  me  say  that  there  were  symptoms  of  an 
insurrection  in  the  city,  and  he  felt  obliged  to  stay 
there.  He  has  detached  six  hundred  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania militia,  however,  under  Colonel  Griffin,  to 
advance  toward  Bordentown. " 

"  'T  is  well,  sir.  Do  you  remain  to  participate  in 
our  attack? " 

"Yes,  sir,  I  belong  to  General  St.  Clair's  brigade." 

"You  will  find  it  over  there;  it  has  not  yet 
crossed.     Now,  gentlemen,   let  us  get  aboard." 

The  general  stepped  forward  in  the  boat,  where 
Bentley,  an  enormous  pole  in  his  hands,  was  sta- 
tioned, and  the  remainder  of  the  party  soon  em- 
barked. The  order  was  given  to  shove  off.  The 
usual  difficulties  and  the  usual  fortune  attended  the 
passage  of  the  boat  with  its  precious  freight,  until  it 
neared  the  east  bank,  when  one  of  the  largest  cakes 
that  had  passed  swiftly  floated  down  upon  it. 

"  Pull,  men,  pull  hard ! "  cried  Colonel  Glover,  as 
he  saw  its  huge  bulk  alongside.  "  Head  the  boat 
up  the  stream,  Mr.  Seymour.  Forward,  there  —  be 
ready  to  push  off  with  your  poles."  As  the  result 
of  these  prompt  manoeuvres,  the  oncoming  mass  of 
ice,  which  was  too  large  to  be  avoided,  instead  of 
crashing  into  them  amidships  and  sinking  the  boat, 
struck  them  a  quartering  blow  on  the  bow,  and  com- 
menced to  grind  along  the  sides  of  the  boat,  which 
heeled  so  far  over  that  the  water  began  to  trickle  in 
through  the  oar-locks  on  the  other  side. 

187 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"Steady,  men,"  said  Glover,  calmly.  "Sit  still, 
for  your  lives. " 

Bentley  had  thrown  his  pole  over  on  the  ice-cake 
promptly,  and  was  now  bearing  down  upon  it  with 
all  the  strength  of  his  powerful  arms.  But  the  task 
was  beyond  him ;  the  ice  and  the  boat  clung  together, 
and  the  ice  was  reinforced  by  several  other  cakes 
which  its  checked  motion  permitted  to  close  with  it. 
The  vast  mass  crashed  against  the  side  of  the  boat ; 
the  oar  of  the  first  rower  was  broken  short  off  at  the 
oar-lock;  if  the  others  went  the  situation  of  the 
helpless  boat  would  be,  indeed,  hopeless.  The  gen- 
eral himself  came  to  the  rescue.  Promptly  divining 
the  situation,  he  stepped  forward  to  Bentley' s  side, 
and  threw  his  own  immense  strength  upon  the  pole. 
Great  beads  of  sweat  stood  out  on  Bentley' s  bronzed 
forehead  as  he  renewed  his  efforts ;  the  stout  hickory 
sapling  bent  and  crackled  beneath  the  pressure  of 
the  two  men,  but  held  on,  and  the  boat  slowly  but 
steadily  began  to  swing  clear  of  the  ice.  These  two 
Homeric  men  held  it  off  by  sheer  strength,  until  the 
boat  was  in  freewater,  and  the  men,  who  had  sat  like 
statues  in  their  places,  could  once  more  use  their 
oars.  The  general  stepped  back  into  his  place, 
cool  and  calm  as  usual,  and  entirely  unruffled  by 
his  great  exertions.  Bentley  wiped  the  sweat  from 
his  face,  and  turned  and  looked  back  at  him  in 
admiration. 

"Friend  Bentley,"  he  said  quietly,  "you  are  a 
man  of  mighty  thews  and  sinews.  Had  it  not  been 
for  your  powerful  arms,  I  fear  we  would  have  had  a 
ducking  —  or  worse." 

"Lord  love  you,  your  honor,"  said  the  astonished 
i88 


CROSSING  THE   DELAWARE 

sailor,  "  I  've  met  my  match !  It  was  your  arm  that 
saved  us.  I  was  almost  done  for.  I  never  saw  such 
strength  as  that,  though  when  I  was  younger  I 
would  have  done  better.  What  a  man  you  would  be 
for  reefing  topsails  in  a  gale  o'  wind,  your  honor, 
sir!"  he  continued,  thrusting  his  pole  vigorously 
into  a  small  and  impertinent  cake  of  ice  in  the  way. 
The  general  was  proud  of  his  great  strength,  and 
not  ill  pleased  at  the  genuine  and  hearty  admiration 
of  this  genuine  and  hearty  man. 

A  few  moments  later  they  stepped  ashore,  and  a 
mighty  cheer  went  up  from  the  men  who  had  crowded 
upon  the  banks,  at  the  safety  of  their  beloved 
general.  Greene  met  him  at  the  landing,  and  the 
two  men  clasped  hands.  The  general  immediately 
mounted  his  powerful  white  horse,  and  stationed 
himself  on  a  little  hillock  to  watch  the  landing  of 
the  rest  of  the  men,  engaging  General  Greene  in  a 
low  conversation  the  while. 

"Do  you  know,  Greene,  that  Gates  has  refused 
my  entreaty  to  stop  one  day  at  Bristol,  and  take 
command  of  Reed's  and  Cadwalader's  troops  and 
help  us  in  the  attack !  I  did  not  positively  order 
him  to  do  so;  only  requested  him  to  delay  his  jour- 
ney by  a  day  or  two.  I  can't  understand  his  action. 
A  letter  was  handed  me  just  before  we  crossed  by 
Wilkinson,  telling  me  that  he  had  gone  on  to 
Congress." 

"  To  Congress !  What  wants  he  there  ?  Oh,  gen- 
eral, it  seems  as  if  you  had  to  fight  two  campaigns, 
—  one  against  the  enemy,  and  the  other  against 
secret,  nay  open,  attempts  to  minimize  your  author- 
ity and  check  your  plans." 

189 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"It  seems  so,  Greene;  but  with  a  just  cause  to 
sustain,  and  the  blessing  of  God  to  help  our  efforts, 
we  cannot  ultimately  fail,  though,  indeed,  it  may  be 
better  that  I  give  place  to  another  man,  more  able  to 
save  the  country,"  went  on  the  general,  solemnly. 

"  Forbid  it,  Heaven  ! "  cried  Greene,  passionately. 
"  We,  at  least,  in  the  army,  know  to  whom  has  been 
committed  this  work;  ay,  and  who  has  done  it,  and 
will  do  it,  too !  We  will  stand  by  you  to  the  last. 
Could  you  not  feel  in  the  cheers  of  those  frozen  men, 
when  you  landed,  the  love  they  bear  you  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  know  that  you  are  with  me,  and  they 
too.  'T  is  that  alone  that  gives  me  heart.  Did 
you  publish  the  orders  about  the  capture  of  the 
transport } " 

"  Yes,  sir,  and  it  put  new  heart  in  the  men,  I  could 
see.  I  wish  we  had  the  supplies,  the  clothing  es- 
pecially, now.      It  grows  colder  every  moment. " 

"Ay,  and  darker,  too;  I  think  we  shall  have  snow 
again  before  we  get  through  with  the  night.  I  won- 
der how  the  others  down  the  river  have  got  along. 
But  who  comes  here.''"  continued  the  general,  as 
two  men  walked  hastily  up  to  him  and  saluted. 

"Well,  sir.?  "  he  said  to  the  first. 

"Message  from  General  Ewing,  sir." 

"  Did  he  get  across  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  the  ice  was  so  heavy  he  bade  me  say  he 
deemed  it  useless  to  try  it." 

"  One  piece  removed  from  the  game.  General 
Greene, "  said  Washington,  smiling  bitterly.  "Now 
your  news,  sir.?  "  to  the  other. 

"  General  Cadwalader  got  a  part  of  his  men  across, 
but  the  ice  banks  so  against  the  east  side  that  not  a 

190 


CROSSING  THE   DELAWARE 

single  horse  or  piece  of  artillery  could  be  landed,  so 
he  bade  me  say  he  has  recrossed  with  his  men,  sir." 

"And  there's  the  other  piece  gone,  too!  Now, 
what  is  to  be  done  ?  " 

General  Sullivan,  having  crossed  with  the  last  of 
his  division,  at  this  moment  rode  up. 

"The  troops  are  all  across,  general,"  he  said. 

"Well  done!     What  time  is  it,  some  one.?" 

"Half  after  eleven,  sir,"  answered  a  voice. 

"  Very  well,  indeed !  We  have  now  only  to  wait 
for  the  guns.  But,  gentlemen,  I  have  just  heard  that 
Ewing  made  no  attempt  to  cross,  and  that  Cadwala- 
der,  having  tried  it,  failed.  He  could  get  his  men 
over,  but  no  horses  and  guns,  on  account  of  the 
ice  on  the  bank,  and  therefore  he  returned,  and 
we  are  here  alone.  What,  think  you,  is  to  be  done 
now  ? " 

There  was  a  moment's  silence. 

"  Perhaps  we  would  better  recross  and  try  it  again 
on  a  more  favorable  night,"  finally  said  De  Fermoy, 
in  his  broken  accents. 

"Yes,  yes,  that  might  be  well,"  said  one  or  two 
others,  simultaneously.  The  most  of  them,  how- 
ever, said  nothing.  The  general  waited  a  moment, 
looking  about  him. 

"Gentlemen,  it  is  too  late  to  retreat.  I  promised 
myself  I  would  not  return  without  a  fight,  and  I 
intend  to  keep  that  promise.  We  will  carry  out  the 
plan  ourselves,  as  much  of  it  at  least  as  we  can.  I 
trust  Putnam  got  Griffin  off,  and  that  his  skirmishers 
may  draw  out  Von  Donop.  But  be  that  as  it  may, 
we  will  have  a  dash  at  Trenton,  and  try  to  bag  the 
game,  and  get  away  before  the  enemy  can  fall  upon 

191 


FOR   LOVE    OF    COUNTRY 

us  in  force.  General  Greene,  you,  of  course,  have 
sent  out  pickets  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir,  the  first  men  who  crossed  over,  a  mile 
up  the  road,  on  the  hill  yonder. " 

"Good!  Ha,  what  was  that.-*  Snow,  as  I  live, 
and  the  moon  's  gone,  too !  How  dark  it  has  grown  ! 
I  think  you  might  allow  the  men  to  light  fires  in 
those  hollows,  and  let  them  move  about  a  little; 
they  will  freeze  to  death  standing  still  —  I  won- 
der they  don't,  anyway.  How  unfortunate  is  this 
snow ! " 

"  Beg  pardon,  your  excellency  ? "  said  the  first  of 
the  two  messengers. 

"  What  is  it,  man  ?     Speak  out !  " 

"  Can  we  stay  here  and  take  part  in  your  attack, 
sir.?" 

"  Certainly  you  may.  Fall  in  with  the  men  there. 
Where  are  your  horses  ?  " 

"We  left  them  on  the  other  side,  sir." 

"Well,  they  will  have  to  stay  there  for  this  time, 
and  you  '11  have  to  go  on  foot  with  the  rest." 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  said  the  men,  eagerly,  darting 
off  in  the  darkness. 

"That  's  a  proper  spirit,  isn't  it.?  Well,  to  your 
stations,  gentlemen!  We  have  nothing  to  do  now 
but  wait.  Don't  allow  the  men  to  lie  down  or  to 
sleep,  on  any  account." 

And  wait  they  did,  for  four  long  hours,  the 
general  sitting  motionless  and  silent  on  his  horse, 
wrapped  in  his  heavy  cloak,  unheeding,  alike,  the 
whirling  snow  or  the  cutting  sleet  of  the  storm, 
which  grew  fiercer  every  moment.  He  strained  his 
eyes  out  into  the  blackness  of  the  river  from  time 

192 


CROSSING   THE   DELAWARE 

to  time,  or  looked  anxiously  at  the  troops,  clustered 
about  the  fires,  or  tramping  restlessly  up  and  down 
in  their  places  to  ward  off  the  deadly  attack  of  the 
awful  winter  night,  while  some  of  them  sought  shel- 
ter, behind  trees  and  hillocks,  from  the  fury  of  the 
storm.  Filled  with  his  own  pregnant  thoughts,  and 
speaking  to  no  one,  he  waited,  and  no  man  ventured 
to  break  his  silence.  At  half  after  three  General 
Knox,  whose  resolute  will  and  iron  strength  had 
been  exerted  to  the  full,  and  whose  mighty  voice 
had  been  heard  from  time  to  time  above  the  shriek 
of  the  fierce  wind,  was  able  to  report  that  he  had  got 
all  the  artillery  over  without  the  loss  of  a  man,  a 
horse,  or  a  gun,  and  was  ready  to  proceed.  The 
men  were  hastily  assembled,  and,  leaving  a  strong 
detail  to  guard  the  boats,  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning  the  long  and  awful  march  to  Trenton  was 
begun,  the  general  and  his  staff,  escorted  by  the 
Philadelphia  City  Troop,  in  the  lead.  The  storm 
was  at  its  height.  All  hopes  of  a  night  attack  and 
surprise  had  necessarily  to  be  abandoned.  Still  the 
general  pressed  on,  determined  to  abide  the  issue, 
and  make  the  attack  as  soon  as  he  reached  the 
enemy.  It  was  the  last  effort  of  liberty,  conceived 
in  desperation  and  born  in  the  throes  of  hunger  and 
cold !     What  would  the  bringing  forth  be  .■• 


13  193 


CHAPTER  XXV 

Trenton  —  The  Lioti  Strikes 

THE  route,  for  the  first  mile  and  a  half,  lay  up  a 
steep  hill,  where  the  men  were  much  exposed 
and  suffered  terribly;  after  that,  for  three  miles  or 
so,  it  wound  in  and  out  between  the  hills,  and  through 
forests  of  ash  and  black  oak,  which  afforded  some 
little  shelter.  The  storm  raged  with  unabated  fury, 
and  the  progress  of  the  little  army  was  very  slow. 
The  men  were  in  good  spirits,  however,  and  they 
cheerfully  toiled  on  over  the  roads  covered  with 
deep  drifts,  bearing  as  best  they  might  the  driving 
tempest.  It  was  six  in  the  morning  when  they 
reached  the  little  village  of  Birmingham,  where  the 
two  columns  divided :  General  Greene's  column, 
accompanied  by  Washington,  taking  the  longer  or 
inland  road,  called  the  Pennington  road,  which  en- 
tered the  town  from  the  northeast;  while  Sullivan's 
column  followed  the  lower  road,  which  entered  the 
town  from  the  west,  by  way  of  a  bridge  over  the 
Assunpink  Creek.  As  Greene  had  a  long  detour  to 
make,  Sullivan  had  orders  to  wait  where  the  cross- 
road from  Rowland's  Ferry  intersected  his  line  of 
march,  until  the  first  column  had  time  to  effect  the 
longer  circuit,  so  that  the  two  attacks  might  be  de- 
livered together.  General  Washington  himself  rode 
in  front  of  the  first  column.  It  was  still  frightfully 
cold. 

194 


TRENTON  — THE   LION   STRIKES 

About  daybreak  the  general  spied  an  officer  on 
horseback  toiling  through  the  snowdrifts  toward  him. 
As  the  horseman  drew  nearer,  he  recognized  young 
Martin. 

"  What  is  it  now,  sir?  " 

*'  General  Sullivan  says  that  the  storm  has  ren- 
dered many  of  his  muskets  useless,  by  wetting  the 
priming  and  powder.  He  wishes  to  know  what  is  to 
be  done,  sir?" 

"  Return  instantly,  and  tell  him  he  must  use  the 
bayonet !  When  he  hears  the  firing,  he  is  to  advance 
and  charge  immediately.  The  town  must  be  taken, 
and  I  intend  to  take  it." 

**  Very  good,  sir,"  said  the  young  man,  saluting. 

"  Can  you  get  through  the  snow  in  time?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  he  replied  promptly.  "  I  can  get 
through  anything,  if  your  excellency  will  give  the 
order." 

The  general  smiled  approvingly.  It  was  evident 
that  young  man's  first  lesson  had  been  a  good  one ; 
his  emphasis,  he  was  glad  to  see,  had  not  been  mis- 
applied. 

When  Martin  rejoined  Sullivan's  column,  which 
had  been  halted  at  the  cross-roads,  the  men  who  had 
witnessed  his  departure  were  eagerly  waiting  his 
return.  As  he  repeated  the  general's  reply,  they 
began  slipping  the  bayonets  over  the  muzzles  of 
their  guns  without  orders.  So  eager  were  they  to 
advance,  that  Sullivan  had  difficulty  in  restraining 
them  until  the  signal  was  given.  Such  was  their 
temper  and  spirit  that,  in  the  excitement  of  the  mo- 
ment, they  recked  little  of  the  freezing  cold  and  the 
hardships    of  their  terrible    march.     The    retreating 

195 


FOR  LOVE  OF   COUNTRY 

army  was  at  last  on  the  offensive,  they  were  about  to 
attack  now,  and  no  attack  is  so  dangerous  as  that 
delivered  by  men  from  whom  the  compelling  neces- 
sity of  retreat  has  been  suddenly  removed. 

It  was  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  when 
they  came  in  sight  of  the  town.  The  village  of 
Trenton  then  contained  about  one  hundred  houses, 
mostly  frame,  scattered  along  both  sides  of  two  long 
streets,  and  chiefly  located  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Assunpink,  which  here  bent  sharply  to  the  north  be- 
fore it  flowed  into  the  Delaware.  The  Assunpink  was 
fordable  in  places  at  low  water,  but  it  was  spanned 
by  a  substantial  stone  bridge,  which  gave  on  the 
road  followed  by  Sullivan,  at  the  west  end  of  the 
village.  Washington  came  down  from  the  north, 
and  entered  the  village  from  the  other  side.  About 
half  a  mile  from  the  edge  of  the  town,  the  column 
led  by  him  came  abreast  of  an  old  man,  chopping 
wood  in  a  farm-yard  by  the  roadside. 

"Which  is  the  way  to  the  Hessian  picket?"  said 
the  general. 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  the  man,  sullenly. 

"  You  may  tell,"  said  Captain  Forest,  riding  near 
the  general,  at  the  head  of  his  battery,  "  for  this  is 
General  Washington." 

The  man's  expression  altered  at  once. 

"  God  bless  and  prosper  you  !  "  he  cried  eagerly, 
raising  his  hands  to  heaven.  "  There  !  The  picket 
is  in  that  house  yonder,  and  the  sentry  stands  near 
that  tree." 

The  intense  cold  and  heavy  snow  had  driven  the 
twenty-five  men,  who  composed  the  advance  picket, 
to  shelter,  and  they  were  huddled  together  in  one  of 

196 


TRENTON  — THE   LION   STRIKES 

the  rude  huts  which  served  as  a  guard-house.  The 
snow  deadened  the  sound  of  the  American  advance, 
and  the  careless  sentry  did  not  perceive  them.  No 
warning  was  given  until  the  lieutenant  in  command 
of  the  guard  stepped  out  of  the  house  by  chance, 
and  gave  the  alarm  in  great  surprise.  The  picket 
rushed  out,  and  the  men  lined  up  in  the  road  in  front 
of  the  column,  the  thick  snow  preventing  them  from 
forming  a  correct  idea  of  the  approaching  force. 
The  advance  guard  of  the  Continentals,  led  by  Cap- 
tain William  A.  Washington  and  Lieutenant  James 
Monroe,  instantly  swept  down  upon  them.  After  a 
scattered  volley  which  hurt  no  one,  they  fled  precip- 
itately back  toward  the  village,  giving  the  alarm  and 
rallying  on  the  main  guard,  posted  nearer  the  centre 
of  the  town,  which  had  been  speedily  drawn  up,  to 
the  number  of  seventy-five  men.  Meanwhile  Sulli- 
van's men,  with  Stark  at  the  head,  had  routed  the 
pickets  on  the  other  road  in  the  same  gallant  style. 
This  picket  was  composed  of  about  fifty  Hessian 
chasseurs,  and  twenty  English  light  dragoons,  under 
command  of  Lieutenant  Grothausen  of  the  chas- 
seurs. They  all  fled  so  precipitately  that  they  did 
not  stop  to  alarm  the  brigade  which  they  had  been 
stationed  to  protect,  but  rapidly  galloped  down  the 
road,  and,  crossing  the  bridge  over  the  Assunpink, 
made  good  their  escape  toward  Bordentown.  Grave 
suspicions  of  cowardice  attached  thereafter  to  their 
commanding  officer.  Had  Ewing  performed  his 
part  in  the  plan,  the  bridge  would  have  been  held, 
and  they  would  have  been  captured  with  the  rest. 
Stark's  men,  followed  by  the  rest  of  Sullivan's  divi- 
sion, were  now  pushed  on  rapidly  for  the  town,  and 

197 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

the  cheers  of  the  New  England  men  were  distinctly 
heard  by  Washington  and  his  men  on  the  main  road. 
The  main  guard  on  the  upper  road,  almost  as 
completely  surprised  as  the  other  by  the  dashing 
onslaught  of  the  Americans,  made  another  futile 
attempt  at  resistance  to  Greene's  column,  but  they 
soon  fell  back  in  great  disorder  upon  the  main  body. 
It  was  broad  daylight  now,  and  the  violence  of  the 
storm  had  somewhat  abated.  In  the  town,  where 
the  firing  had  been  heard,  the  drums  of  the  three 
regiments  were  rapidly  beating  the  assembly.  Colo- 
nel Rahl  was  in  bed,  sleeping  off  the  effects  of  his 
previous  night's  indulgences,  when  he  heard  the 
commotion.  Jumping  from  the  bed  and  running 
rapidly  to  the  window,  still  undressed,  he  thrust 
out  his  head  and  asked  the  acting  brigade  adjutant, 
Biel,  —  who  was  hurriedly  galloping  past,  —  what  it 
was  all  about.  There  was  a  total  misapprehension  on 
all  sides,  even  at  this  hour,  as  to  the  serious  nature 
of  the  attack ;  so  the  confused  colonel,  satisfied  with 
Biel's  surmise  that  it  was  a  raid,  ordered  him  to  take 
a  company  and  go  to  the  assistance  of  the  main 
guard,  in  the  supposition  that  it  was  only  a  skirmish- 
ing party,  and  never  dreaming  of  a  general  attack. 
Nevertheless  he  then  dressed  rapidly,  and,  running 
down  to  the  street,  mounted  his  horse,  which  had  been 
brought  around.  The  three  regiments  which  com- 
prised his  brigade  and  command  were  already  form- 
ing; they  were  the  regiment  Rahl,  the  regiment  Von 
Lossburg,  and  the  regiment  Von  Knyphausen.  At 
this  moment  the  advance  party  and  the  main  guard 
came  running  through  the  streets  in  great  confusion, 
crying  that  the  whole  rebel  army  was  down  upon 

198 


TRENTON  — THE   LION   STRIKES 

them.  The  regiment  Rahl  and  the  regiment  Von 
Lossburg  at  once  began  retreating  to  an  apple 
orchard  back  of  the  town ;  firing  ineffectively  in 
their  excitement,  as  they  ran,  from  behind  the  houses, 
at  the  head  of  the  column,  which  had  now  appeared 
in  the  street;  while  the  regiment  Von  Knyphausen, 
under  the  command  of  Major  Von  Dechow,  the 
second  in  command  of  the  brigade,  separated  from 
the  two  others  and  made  for  the  bridge  over  the 
Assunpink. 

King  and  Queen  streets  run  together  at  the  east 
end  of  the  town.  There  Washington  stationed  him- 
self, on  the  left  of  Forest's  battery,  which  was  imme- 
diately unlimbered  and  opened  up  a  hot  fire.  The 
general's  position  was  much  exposed,  and  after  his 
horse  had  been  wounded,  his  officers  repeatedly  re- 
quested him  to  fall  back  to  a  safer  point,  which  he 
peremptorily  refused  to  do.  The  joy  of  battle 
sparkled  in  his  eyes;  he  had  instinctively  chosen 
that  position  on  the  field  from  whence  he  could  best 
see  and  direct  the  conflict,  and  nothing  but  a  success- 
ful charge  of  the  enemy  upon  them  could  have  moved 
him  to  retire. 

A  few  of  the  cooler-headed  men  among  the  Hessians 
had  rallied  some  of  the  Lossburg  regiment,  and  two 
guns  had  been  run  out  into  the  street  and  pointed  up 
toward  the  place  where  Washington  stood,  to  form  a 
battery,  which  might,  could  it  have  been  served,  have 
held  the  American  army  in  check  until  such  time  as 
the  startled  Germans  could  recover  their  wits  and 
make  a  stand.  General  Washington  pointed  them 
out  to  the  officer  of  the  advance  guard,  which  had 
already  done  such  good  service,  with  a  wave  of  his 

199 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

sword.  The  little  handful  of  men,  led  by  Captain 
Washington  and  Lieutenant  Monroe,  charged  down 
upon  the  guns,  which  the  party  had  not  had  time  to 
load.  A  scattering  volley  received  them.  Captain 
Washington  and  Monroe  and  one  of  the  men  were 
wounded,  another  fell  dead;  the  men  hesitated. 
Talbot  sprang  to  the  head  of  the  column,  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  general's  nod,  and  they  rallied,  advanced 
on  the  run,  and  the  guns  were  immediately  captured. 

Meanwhile  the  fire  of  Stark's  riflemen  could  be 
heard  at  the  other  end  of  the  town.  St.  Clair's 
brigade  held  the  bridge ;  the  regiment  Von  Kny- 
phausen  lost  a  few  precious  moments  endeavoring  to 
extricate  its  guns,  which  had  become  mired  in  the 
morass  near  the  bridge,  and  then  charged  upon  St. 
Clair.  But  it  was  too  late ;  Von  Dechow  was  seriously 
wounded,  and  when  the  regiment  saw  itself  taken  in 
the  flank  by  Sargeant's  brigade,  it  retired  in  disorder, 
though  some  few  men  escaped  by  the  fords. 

At  this  juncture  Rahl  re-formed  his  scattered  troops 
in  the  apple  orchard.  He  seems  to  have  had  an  idea 
of  retreating  toward  Princeton  at  first,  with  the  two 
regiments  still  under  his  command ;  at  any  rate,  he 
also  lost  precious  moments  by  hesitation.  It  was 
even  then  too  late  to  effect  a  successful  retreat,  for 
Washington,  foreseeing  the  possibility,  had  promptly 
sent  Hand's  Pennsylvania  riflemen  along  the  Pen- 
nington road  back  of  the  town  to  check  any  move  in 
that  direction.  As  fast  as  the  other  brigades  of 
Greene's  column  came  up,  they  were  sent  down 
through  the  streets  of  the  town,  until  Stirling,  in  the 
lead,  joined  Sullivan's  men.  Rahl's  brigade  was  prac- 
tically surrounded,  though  he  did  not  know  it.     The 

200 


TRENTON— THE   LION   STRIKES 

commander  completely  lost  his  head,  though  he 
was  a  courageous  man,  brave  to  rashness,  and  a 
veteran  soldier  who  had  hitherto  distinguished  him- 
self in  this  and  many  other  wars.  The  town  was  full 
of  plunder  gathered  by  the  troops,  the  Hessians 
having  been  looting  the  country  for  weeks ;  and  he 
could  not  abandon  it  without  a  struggle.  The  idea 
of  flying  from  a  band  of  ragged  rebels  whom  he  had 
scouted,  was  intolerable.  He  had  been,  he  now  felt, 
more  than  culpable  in  neglecting  many  warnings  of 
attack,  and  had  lamentably  failed  in  his  duty  as  a 
soldier,  in  refraining  from  taking  the  commonest  pre- 
cautions against  surprise.  He  had  refused  to  heed 
the  urgent  representations  of  Von  Dechow,  and  other 
of  his  high  officers.  Now  his  honor  was  at  stake ;  so 
he  rashly  made  up  his  mind  to  charge. 

"  We  will  retake  the  town.  All  who  are  my  gren- 
adiers —  forward !  "  he  cried  intrepidly. 

The  men,  with  fixed  bayonets,  advanced  bravely, 
and  he  led  them  gallantly  forward,  sword  in  hand. 
The  Americans  fired  a  volley ;  Forest's  battery, 
which  enfiladed  them,  poured  in  a  deadly  fire.  Rahl 
in  the  advance,  upon  his  horse,  received  a  fatal  wound 
and  fell  to  the  ground.  The  Continentals,  cheering 
madly,  charged  forward  with  fixed  bayonets.  The 
Hessians  stopped  —  hesitated  —  wavered  —  their 
chief  was  gone  —  the  battle  was  lost  —  they  broke 
and  fled !  Disregarding  the  commands  and  appeals 
of  their  officers,  they  turned  quickly  to  the  right,  and 
ran  off"  into  the  face  of  Hand's  riflemen,  who  received 
them  with  another  volley.  Many  of  them  fell.  A 
body  of  Virginia  troops  led  by  Talbot  now  gained 
their  left  flank,  the  Philadelphia  City  Troop  encircled 

20X 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

their  rear.  The  helpless  men  stopped,  completely- 
bewildered,  huddled  together  in  a  confused  mass. 
Washington,  seeing  imperfectly,  and  thinking  they 
were  forming  again,  ordered  the  guns  from  Forest's 
battery,  which  had  been  loaded  with  canister,  to  be 
discharged  upon  them  at  once. 

"  Sir,  they  have  struck !  "  cried  Seymour  the  keen- 
eyed,  preventing  the  men  from  firing. 

"  Struck !  "  cried  the  general,  in  surprise. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  their  colors  are  down." 

"  So  they  are,"  said  Washington,  clasping  his 
hands  and  raising  his  eyes  to  heaven ;  then,  putting 
spurs  to  his  horse,  he  galloped  over  toward  the  men. 
The  firing  had  ceased  in  every  direction,  and  the  day 
was  his  own ;  the  three  regiments  were  surrendering 
at  discretion,  two  to  him  and  the  other  to  Lord  .Stir- 
ling. As  Major  Wilkinson  galloped  up  from  the 
lower  division  for  instructions,  Colonel  Rahl,  pale  and 
bleeding,  and  supported  by  two  sergeants,  presented 
his  sword,  which  Washington  courteously  declined  to 
receive.  The  general  then  gave  orders  that  every 
care  and  assistance  should  be  afforded  the  unfortunate 
soldier,  who  died  the  next  day  in  a  room  in  Potts' 
Tavern. 

"  This  is  indeed  a  glorious  day  for  our  country," 
said  the  general  to  Seymour. 

It  was  in  fact  the  turning-point  in  the  history  of 
the  nation.  The  captives  numbered  nearly  one  thou- 
sand men,  with  twelve  hundred  stand  of  arms,  six 
field-pieces,  twelve  drums,  and  four  colors,  including 
the  gorgeous  banner  of  the  Anspachers,  the  Von 
Lossburg  regiment. 

Of  the  Continentals,  only  two  were  killed  and  four 

202 


TRENTON  — THE   LION   STRIKES 

wounded,  while  upward  of  one  hundred  of  the  Hes- 
sians were  killed  and  wounded,  among  the  killed 
being  Rahl  and  Von  Dechow,  the  first  and  second  in 
command.  The  whole  of  this  brilliant  affair  scarcely 
occupied  an  hour. 

As  none  of  the  other  divisions  had  got  across, 
it  was  scarcely  safe  for  Washington  to  remain  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river  in  the  presence  of  the  vastly 
superior  forces  of  the  enemy,  which  would  be  con- 
centrated upon  him  without  delay.  So  that,  after 
giving  the  men  a  much  needed  rest,  securing  their 
booty,  and  burying  the  dead,  the  evening  found  the 
little  army,  with  its  prisoners,  retracing  its  steps 
toward  the  ford  and  its  former  camping-ground. 

But  with  what  different  feelings  the  hungry,  worn- 
out,  tattered  mass  of  men  marched  along  in  the  bitter 
night !  The  contrast  between  the  well-clothed  and 
well-fed  Hessians  and  their  captors  was  surprising, 
but  not  less  striking  than  that  between  their  going 
out  and  coming  in.  Little  recked  the  frozen  men  of 
the  hardships  of  the  way.  They  had  shown  the 
world  that  they  possessed  other  capabilities  than  fa- 
cility in  retreating,  and  no  American  army,  however 
small  or  feeble,  would  ever  again  be  despised  by 
any  foe. 

The  return  passage  was  made  without  incident,  save 
that  just  on  the  crest  of  the  hills  leading  down  to  the 
Ford,  the  general,  who  was  in  advance  again,  noticed 
a  suspicious-looking,  snow-covered  mound  by  the 
roadside.  Riding  up  to  it,  one  of  his  aids  dismounted 
and  uncovered  the  body  of  a  man,  a  Continental  sol- 
dier, frozen  to  death.  The  cold  weapon  was  grasped 
tightly  in  the  colder  hand.     A  little  farther  on  there 

203 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

was  another  body  asleep  in  the  snow,  —  another  sol- 
dier !  The  last  was  that  man  of  the  headquarters 
guard  who  had  spoken  of  his  little  children  at  home 
on  Christmas  day.  They  would  wait  a  long  time  be- 
fore they  saw  him  again.  He  had  been  willing  to 
fight  the  whole  English  army !  Ah,  well,  a  sterner 
foe  than  any  who  marched  beneath  the  red  flag  of 
Great  Britain  had  grappled  with  him,  and  he  had 
been  defeated,  —  but  he  had  won  his  freedom  ! 

For  forty  hours  now  that  little  band  of  men  had 
marched  and  fought,  and  when  it  reached  its  camp 
at  midnight  the  whole  army  was  exhausted.  The 
only  man  among  them  all  who  preserved  his  even 
calmness,  and  was  apparently  unaffected  by  the  hard- 
ships of  the  day,  was  the  commander  himself,  —  the 
iron  man.  Late  into  the  night  he  dictated  and  wrote 
letters  and  orders,  to  be  despatched  in  every  direc- 
tion in  the  morning.  The  successful  issue  of  his  dar- 
ing adventure  entailed  yet  further  responsibilities,  and 
the  campaign  was  only  just  begun.  As  for  himself, 
the  world  now  knew  him  for  a  soldier.  And  a  with- 
ered old  man  in  the  palace  of  the  Sans  Souci  in 
Berlin,  who  had  himself  known  victories  and  defeats, 
who  had  himself  stood  at  bay,  facing  a  world  in  arms 
so  successfully  that  men  called  him  "  The  Great," 
called  this  and  the  subsequent  campaign  the  finest 
military  exploit  of  the  age ! 


204 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

My  Lord  Cornwallis 

AND  so  the  departure  of  my  Lord  Cornwallis  was 
necessarily  deferred.  The  packet  upon  which 
he  had  engaged  passage,  and  which  had  actually  re- 
ceived his  baggage,  sailed  without  him.  It  would  be 
some  days  before  he  would  grace  the  court  of  St. 
James  with  his  handsome  person,  and  a  long  time 
would  elapse  before  he  would  once  more  rejoice  in 
the  sight  of  his  beloved  hills ;  when  he  next  returned 
it  would  not  be  with  the  laurels  of  a  conqueror  either ! 
He  was  to  try  conclusions  once  and  again  with  the 
gentleman  he  had  so  assiduously  pursued  through 
the  Jerseys ;  and  this  time,  ay,  and  in  the  end  too,  the 
honors  were  to  be  with  his  antagonist.  The  Star 
and  Order  of  the  Bath,  which  his  gracious  and  gen- 
erous Britannic  majesty  had  sent  over  to  the  new 
Caesar,  General  Howe,  with  so  much  laudation  and 
so  many  words  of  congratulation,  was  to  have  a  little 
of  its  lustre  diminished,  and  was  destined  to  appear 
not  quite  so  glorious  as  it  had  after  Long  Island ;  in 
fact,  it  was  soon  to  be  seen  that  it  was  only  a  pyro- 
technic star  after  all,  and  not  in  the  order  of  heaven ! 
Both  of  these  gentlemen  were  to  learn  that  an  army — 
almost  any  kind  of  an  army  —  is  always  dangerous 
until  it  is  wiped  out ;  and  it  is  not  to  be  considered 
as  wiped  out  as  long  as  it  has  any  coherent  existence 

205 


FOR  LOVE   OF  COUNTRY 

at  all,  even  if  the  coherent  existence  only  depends 
upon  the  iron  will  of  one  man,  —  which  is  another 
way  of  saying  the  game  is  never  won  until  it  is  ended. 

There  was  mounting  in  hot  haste  in  New  York,  and 
couriers  and  orders  streamed  over  the  frozen  roads, 
and  Lord  Cornwallis  himself  galloped  at  full  speed 
for  Princeton.  The  calculations  of  a  certain  number 
of  his  majesty's  faithful  troops  were  to  be  rudely  dis- 
turbed, and  the  comfortable  quarters  in  which  they 
had  ensconced  themselves  were  to  be  vacated  forth- 
with. Concentration,  aggregation,  synthesis,  were  the 
words ;  and  this  time  the  reassembled  army  was  not 
to  disintegrate  into  winter  quarters  until  this  pestilent 
Mr.  Washington  was  attended  to,  and  attended  to 
so  effectually  that  they  could  enjoy  the  enforced 
hospitality  of  the  surly  but  substantial  Jerseymen 
through  the  long  winter  nights  undisturbed.  For  his 
part,  Mr.  Washington,  having  tasted  success,  the  first 
real  brilliant  offensive  success  of  the  campaign,  was 
quite  willing  to  be  attended  to.  In  fact,  in  a  manner 
which  in  another  sex  might  be  called  coquettish,  he 
seemed  to  court  attention.  Having  successfully  at- 
tacked with  his  frost-bitten  ragged  regiments  a  de- 
tachment, he  was  now  to  demonstrate  to  the  world 
that  not  even  the  presence  of  an  army  could  estop 
him. 

Things  were  not  quiet  on  the  Pennsylvania  side  of 
the  river  either ;  there  were  such  comings  and  goings 
in  Newtown  as  that  staid  and  conservative  village  had 
never  before  seen.  Our  two  friends,  the  sad-hearted, 
were  both  busily  employed.  Talbot  had  galloped 
over  the  familiar  road,  and  had  electrified  the  good 
people  of  Philadelphia  with  his  news,  and  then  had 

206 


MY   LORD   CORNWALLIS 

hastened  on  to  Baltimore  to  reassure  the  spirits  of 
the  frightened  Congress.  Honest  Robert  Morris 
was  trotting  around  from  door  to  door  upon  New 
Year's  morning,  hat  in  hand,  begging  for  dollars  to 
assist  his  friend  George  Washington,  and  the  cause  of 
liberty,  and  the  suffering  army;  and  Seymour,  be- 
come as  it  were  a  soldier,  and  with  Philip  for  esquire, 
was  waiting  to  take  what  he  could  get,  be  the  amount 
ever  so  little,  back  to  General  Washington.  The 
sailor  had  been  granted  a  further  leave  of  absence  by 
the  naval  committee,  at  the  general's  urgent  request, 
and  was  glad  to  learn  that  he  should  soon  have  com- 
mand of  the  promised  ship  of  war,  which  was  even 
then  making  ready  in  the  Delaware.  Honest  Bent- 
ley  —  beloved  of  the  soldiery  in  spite  of  his  genuinely 
expressed  contempt  for  land  warriors  —  was  lending 
what  aid  he  could  in  keeping  up  the  spirits  of  the 
men,  and  in  other  material  ways  in  the  camp.  Some 
of  the  clothing,  some  of  the  guns  from  the  Mellish, 
some  of  the  material  captured  from  the  Hessians  had 
gone  into  the  hands  and  over  the  backs  and  upon 
the  feet  of  the  men.  But  the  clothed  and  the  naked 
were  equally  happy,  for  had  they  not  done  something 
at  last?  Ay!  they  had  given  assurance  that  they 
were  men  to  be  reckoned  with. 

Fired  by  the  example  set  them  by  the  Continen- 
tals, the  Pennsylvania  militia,  under  Cadwalader  and 
Ewing  and  Mifflin,  had  at  last  crossed  the  Delaware 
and  joined  Griffin's  men.  Washington  had  followed 
them,  and  the  twenty-ninth  of  December  found  him 
established  in  new  headquarters  at  Trenton.  A  num- 
ber of  mounds  in  the  fields,  covered  with  snow,  some 
bitter  recollections  and  sad  stories  of  plunder,  robbery, 

207 


FOR   LOVE  OF   COUNTRY 

rapine,  and  worse,  told  with  gnashing  teeth  or  break- 
ing heart  by  the  firesides,  were  all  that  remained  of 
their  strange  antagonists  in  the  town.  But  the  little 
town  and  the  little  valley  were  to  be  once  more  the 
scene  of  war.  The  great  game  was  to  be  played 
again,  and  the  little  creek  of  the  Assunpink  was  to 
run  red  under  its  ice  and  between  its  banks. 

On  the  twenty-ninth,  Washington's  troops  began  to 
cross  the  river  again.  Two  parties  of  light  dragoons 
were  sent  on  in  advance  under  Colonel  Reed,  assisted 
by  parties  of  Pennsylvania  riflemen  despatched  by 
Cadwalader.  They  clung  tenaciously  to  the  flanks  of 
Von  Donop.  That  unfortunate  commander  had  been 
led  away  from  his  camp  at  Burlington  in  pursuit  of 
Griffin's  gallant  six  hundred.  When  he  returned,  un- 
successful, the  news  from  Trenton  had  so  alarmed 
him  that  he  fled  precipitately,  abandoning  his  heavy 
baggage  and  some  of  his  artillery.  It  was  a  work  of 
joy  for  the  pursued  to  pursue,  a  reversal  of  conditions 
which  put  the  heavy  German  veterans  at  a  strange 
disadvantage  compared  with  their  alert  and  active 
pursuers.  They  had  marched  through  that  country 
with  a  high  hand,  plundering  and  abusing  its  inhabi- 
tants in  a  frightful  way,  and  they  were  now  being 
made  to  experience  the  hatred  they  themselves  had 
enkindled.  The  country  people  rose  against  them, 
and  cut  them  off  without  mercy. 

It  took  two  days  to  get  the  troops  across,  on  ac- 
count of  the  ice  in  the  river.  And  now  came  another 
difficulty.  The  time  of  the  major  part  of  the  Ameri- 
cans had  expired  on  the  last  day  of  the  year,  but 
Washington  had  them  paraded  and  had  ridden  up 
and  addressed  them  in  a  brilliant,  soldier-like  fashion, 

208 


MY   LORD   CORNWALLIS 

and  they  had  to  a  man  volunteered  to  remain  with 
him  for  six  weeks  longer,  or  as  much  more  time  as 
was  necessary  to  enable  him  to  complete  his  cam- 
paign before  he  went  into  winter  quarters.  He  was 
at  last  able  to  pay  them  their  long  deferred  salary 
out  of  the  fifty  thousand  dollars  sent  him  by  Robert 
Morris,  which  Seymour  and  Talbot  that  day  had 
brought  him ;  and  for  their  future  reward  he  cheerfully 
pledged  his  own  vast  estate,  an  example  of  self-sacri- 
fice which  Greene,  Stark,  Talbot,  Seymour,  and  others 
of  the  officers  who  possessed  property,  at  once  emu- 
lated. The  men  were  put  in  good  spirits  by  a 
promise  of  ten  dollars'  bounty  also,  and  they  were 
ready  and  eager  for  a  fight. 

Reed,  attended  by  six  young  gentlemen  of  the 
Philadelphia  Troop,  had  been  sent  out  to  reconnoitre. 
Up  toward  Princeton  they  had  surprised  a  British 
outpost  composed  of  a  sergeant  and  twelve  dragoons ; 
the  sergeant  escaped,  but  the  twelve  dragoons,  panic- 
stricken,  were  captured  after  a  short  resistance ;  and 
Reed  and  his  gallant  young  cavaliers  returned  in 
triumph  to  headquarters.  Valuable  information  was 
gained  from  this  party.  Cornwallis  had  joined  Grant 
at  Princeton,  and  with  seven  or  eight  thousand  men 
was  assembling  wagons  and  transportation,  preparing 
for  a  dash  on  Trenton.  Confirmation  of  this  not  un- 
expected news  came  by  a  student  from  the  college, 
who  had  escaped  to  Cadwalader  and  been  sent  up  to 
General  Washington.  The  situation  of  Washington 
was  now  critical,  but  he  took  prompt  measures  to  re- 
lieve it.  Cadwalader  from  the  Crosswicks,  and  Mifflin 
from  Bordentown,  with  thirty-six  hundred  men,  were 
ordered  forward  at  once.  They  promptly  obeyed 
14  209 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

orders,  and  by  another  desperate  night  march  reached 
Trenton  on  the  morning  of  the  first  day  of  the  year. 

There  was  heavy  skirmishing  all  day  on  the  second. 
Cornwallis,  advancing  in  hot  haste  from  Princeton  with 
eight  thousand  men,  was  checked,  and  lost  precious 
time,  by  a  hot  rifle  fire  from  the  wood  on  the  banks  of 
the  Shabbakong  Creek,  near  the  road  he  followed  in  his 
advance.  The  skirmishers  under  Greene,  seconded 
by  Hand,  after  doing  gallant  service  and  covering 
themselves  with  glory  by  delaying  the  advance  for 
several  hours,  giving  Washington  ample  time  to  with- 
draw his  army  across  the  Assunpink  and  post  it  in  a 
strong  defensive  position,  had  retired  in  good  order 
beyond  the  American  line.  In  the  skirmish  Lieuten- 
ant Von  Grothausen,  he  who  had  galloped  away  with 
the  dragoons  at  Trenton  and  had  been  under  sus- 
picion of  cowardice  ever  since,  had  somewhat  re- 
deemed his  reputation  in  that  he  had  boldly  ridden 
down  upon  the  riflemen,  and  had  been  killed.  It 
was  late  in  the  evening  when  the  advance  parties 
crossed  the  bridge  over  the  creek  and  sought  safety 
behind  the  lines.  Indefatigable  General  Knox  had 
concentrated  thirty  pieces  of  cannon  at  the  bridge  — 
"  A  very  pretty  battery,"  he  called  it. 

It  was  dusk  when  the  eager  Americans  saw  the 
head  of  the  British  army  coming  through  the  streets. 
They  remained  silent  while  the  enemy  formed,  and 
advanced  to  attack  the  bridge  and  the  fords  in 
heavy  columns  at  the  same  time.  The  men  came  on 
in  a  solid  mass  for  the  bridge  head,  cheering  gal- 
lantly. They  were  met  by  Knox's  artillery  and  a 
steady  fire  from  the  riflemen.  Three  times  they 
crashed  on  that  bridge  like  a  mighty  wave,  and  three 

210 


MY   LORD   CORNWALLIS 

times  like  a  wave  broken  they  fell  back  before  an 
awful  storm  of  fire.  General  Washington  himself, 
sitting  on  his  white  horse,  gave  the  orders  at  the 
bridge,  and  the  brave  enemy  were  repulsed.  The  posi- 
tion was  too  strong  to  be  taken  by  direct  assault 
without  great  loss ;  besides,  it  was  not  vital  after  all  — 
so  reasoned  Cornwallis.  The  British  soldiery  were 
weary,  they  had  marched  all  day  at  a  hot  pace  and 
were  exhausted.  They  had  not  lived  in  a  chronic 
state  of  exhaustion  for  so  long  that  they  never  gave 
it  a  thought;  they  were  not  used  to  it,  as  were  the 
Continentals,  and  when  the  British  were  tired  they 
had  to  rest.  They  would  be  in  better  spirit  on  the 
morrow.  The  creek  was  fordable  in  a  dozen  places, 
but  Cornwallis  resisted  the  importunities  of  some  of 
his  officers,  who  wished  to  ford  it  and  attack  at  once; 
he  sent  urgent  messengers  off  to  Princeton  to  bring  up 
the  two  thousand  men  left  there  with  Von  Donop,  and 
to  hurry  up  Leslie  with  the  rear  guard,  six  miles  away ; 
when  they  arrived  they  could  turn  the  right  flank  of  the 
Americans,  and  it  would  be  all  up  with  them  then. 
He  thought  he  had  Washington  at  such  a  disadvantage 
that  he  could  not  escape,  though  the  small  advantage 
of  position  might  enable  him  to  make  a  desperate 
resistance,  even  with  his  inferior  forces. 

"  We  will  wait,"  he  said  to  Erskine,  "  until  Von 
Donop  comes  up,  and  Leslie,  and  then  we  '11  bag  the 
'  old  fox  '  in  the  morning  !  " 

So,  after  brisk  firing  on  both  sides  until  night 
closed  down,  the  camp-fires  were  lighted  on  both 
sides  of  the  creek;  and  the  British  officer  went  to 
sleep,  calmly  confident  that  he  had  held  the  winning 
cards,  and  all  that  was  necessary  was  that  the  hand 

211 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

should  be  played  out  in  the  morning,  to  enable  him 
to  take  the  game  again.  He  did  indeed  hold  the 
higher  cards,  but  the  "  old  fox  "  showed  himself  the 
better  player. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  creek,  in  the  house  of  good 
Mistress  Dagworthy,  anxious  hearts  were  debating. 
General  Washington  had  summoned  a  council  of  war, 
which  expressed  the  usual  diversity  of  opinion  on 
all  subjects,  except  an  unwillingness  to  fight,  upon 
which,  like  every  other  council  of  war,  it  was  agreed. 
Indeed  the  odds  were  fearful !  Ten  thousand  sea- 
soned, well-equipped,  well-trained,  veteran  troops, 
ably  led,  and  smarting  with  the  late  defeat  and  the 
check  of  the  day  against  five  thousand  or  six  thou- 
sand wretchedly  provided  soldiers,  three-fifths  of 
whom  were  raw  militiamen,  who  had  never  heard  a 
shot  fired  in  anger ! 

Not  even  a  leader  like  Washington,  and  officers  to 
second  him  like  Greene,  Sullivan,  Knox,  St.  Clair, 
Stephen,  Stirling,  Cadwalader,  Sargeant,  Mercer, 
Mifflin,  Reed,  Stark,  Hand,  Glover,  and  the  others, 
could  overcome  such  a  disparity  and  inequality. 

Cornwallis  had  only  to  outflank  them,  crumple 
them  up,  roll  them  back  on  the  impassable  Delaware, 
and  then  —  God  help  them  all ! 

There  was  no  disguising  the  critical  nature  of  their 
situation,  and  the  army  had  never  before  been  in  so 
desperate  a  position.  It  needed  no  great  skill  to  see 
the  danger  now  to  be  faced,  but  the  mistake  of  Corn- 
wallis gave  them  a  brief  respite,  of  which  they 
promptly  availed  themselves.  Washington  was  not 
a  man  before  whom  it  was  ever  safe  to  indulge  in 
mistakes,  and  the  more  difficult  his  position,  the  more 


MY   LORD   CORNWALLIS 

dangerous  he  became.  Trial,  danger,  hazard,  seemed 
to  bring  out  all  of  the  most  remarkable  qualities  of 
the  man  in  the  highest  degree.  Nothing  alarmed 
him,  nothing  dismayed  him,  nothing  daunted  him; 
the  hotter  the  conflict,  the  more  pressing  the  dan- 
ger, the  cooler  he  became.  No  man  on  earth  was 
ever  more  ready  and  quick  to  avail  himself  of  time  and 
opportunity,  once  he  had  determined  upon  a  course 
of  action.  This  campaign  was  the  most  signal  illus- 
tration, among  many  others,  which  his  wonderful 
career  affords.  Action,  prompt,  bold,  decisive,  was 
as  the  breath  of  life  to  him ;  but  before  coming  to  a 
decision,  contrary  to  the  custom  of  great  com- 
manders generally,  he  usually  called  a  council  of 
war,  which,  on  account  of  his  excessive  modesty,  he 
sometimes  allowed  to  overrule  his  own  better  judg- 
ment, to  the  great  detriment  of  the  cause.  Alone  he 
was  superb !  Given  equal  resources,  the  world  has 
not  seen  a  general  with  whom  he  could  not  success- 
fully be  matched.  In  this  particular  juncture,  fortu- 
nately for  the  country,  he  insisted  upon  having  his 
own  way. 

There  were  apparently  but  three  alternatives  before 
the  council.  The  first  was  a  retreat  with  all  speed 
down  the  river,  leaving  the  heavy  baggage  and  artil- 
lery, and  then  crossing  at  Philadelphia  if  they  could 
get  there  in  time.  But  this  would  be  to  abandon  the 
whole  colony  of  New  Jersey,  to  lose  the  results  of  the 
whole  campaign,  and  leave  the  enemy  in  fine  position 
to  begin  again  in  the  spring ;  and  if  this  were  the  end, 
they  might  better  have  stayed  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river.  Besides,  successes  were  vital  and  must  be  had. 
Another   retreat   meant   disintegration   and    ruin,  in 

213 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

spite  of  the  lucky  stroke  at  Trenton.  The  second 
alternative  was  a  battle  where  they  stood,  and  that 
meant  total  defeat,  —  a  thing  not  to  be  considered  a 
moment.  The  army  must  win  or  die ;  and  as  dying 
could  do  no  good,  it  had  to  win.  A  brilliant  idea, 
however,  had  occurred  to  the  commander-in-chief, 
the  man  of  brilliant  ideas.  He  communicated  it  to 
the  council,  where  it  instantly  found  adherents,  and 
objectors,  too.  It  was  the  third  alternative.  A  cir- 
cuitous road  called  the  Quaker  road,  recently  sur- 
veyed and  just  made,  led  in  a  roundabout  way  from 
the  rear  of  the  camp  toward  the  Princeton  road,  which 
it  entered  two  miles  from  that  town.  Washington's 
plan  was  to  steal  silently  away  in  the  night  by  this 
road,  leaving  bright  fires  burning  to  deceive  the  con- 
fident enemy,  and  press  with  all  speed  toward  Prince- 
ton, strike  Cornwallis'  rear-guard  there  at  daybreak 
with  overwhelming  force,  crush  it  before  that  general 
could  retrace  his  steps,  and  then  make  a  dash  for  the 
British  supplies  at  New  Brunswick.  If  it  were  not 
practicable  to  reach  that  point,  Washington  could 
take  a  position  on  the  hills  above  Morristown,  on  the 
flank  of  the  British,  and,  by  threatening  their  com- 
munications, force  the  superior  army  to  retreat  and 
abandon  the  field,  or  else  attack  the  Americans  in 
their  intrenchments  in  the  hills,  with  a  probable  result 
even  more  disastrous  to  the  attacking  party  than  at 
Bunker  Hill.  It  was  a  conception  as  simple  and 
beautiful  as  it  was  bold,  brilliant,  and  practicable. 

But  now  the  objectors  began  ;  it  had  been  snowing, 
sleeting,  and  raining  for  several  days ;  the  roads  were 
impassable,  they  had  no  bottom.  Objections  were 
made  on  all  sides :  the  artillery  could  not  possibly  be 

214 


MY   LORD   CORNWALLIS 

moved,  no  horses  could  pull  the  wagons  through  the 
mud,  the  troops  could  not  march  in  it.  But  Wash- 
ington, with  true  instincts,  held  to  his  carefully  de- 
vised plan  with  an  unusual  resolution.  Arguing, 
explaining,  suggesting,  convincing,  persuading,  the 
hours  slipped  away,  until  at  ten  o'clock  at  night  there 
came  a  sudden  change  in  the  weather,  perceptible 
even  to  those  in  the  house.  Washington  ran  eagerly 
to  the  door  and  opened  it.  Followed  by  the  general 
officers,  he  stepped  out  into  the  night.  It  was  dark 
and  cloudy,  no  moon  or  stars  even,  and  growing 
colder  every  moment  under  the  rising  northeast 
wind. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  cried  gayly,  "  Providence  has  de- 
cided for  us.  The  wind  has  shifted.  The  army  will 
move  in  two  hours." 

At  the  time  specified  by  the  commander,  the  muddy 
roads  were  frozen  hard.  The  heavy  baggage  was 
sent  down  to  Burlington,  and  a  strong  party  of  active 
men  was  left  to  keep  bright  fires  burning,  and  charged 
to  show  themselves  as  much  as  possible  and  make  a 
great  commotion  by  throwing  up  fortifications  and 
loud  talking,  with  instructions  to  slip  away  and  join 
the  main  body  early  next  day  as  best  they  could. 
At  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  astonished  army 
started  out  upon  their  adventurous  journey,  —  another 
long  cold  night  march.  The  untravelled  roads  were 
as  smooth  and  hard  as  iron.  With  muffled  wheels 
they  succeeded  in  stealing  away  undetected. 


a^S 


CHAPTER    XXVII 

The  Lion  Turns  Fox 

THE  Quaker  road  led  southeast  from  Trenton 
until  it  reached  the  village  of  Sandtown,  where 
it  turned  to  the  northwest  again,  and  it  was  not  until 
that  point  was  reached  that  the  surprised  soldiers 
realized  the  daring  nature  of  the  manoeuvre,  and  the 
character  of  that  night  march,  which  they  had  at  first 
considered  another  hopeless  retreat.  It  was  aston- 
ishing, then,  with  what  spirit  and  zeal  the  soldiers 
tramped  silently  over  the  frozen  roads ;  the  raw, 
green  militia  vied  with  the  veterans,  in  the  forti- 
tude with  which  they  sustained  the  dreadful  fatigue 
of  the  severe  march.  The  long  distance  to  be  trav- 
ersed, on  account  of  the  detour  to  be  made,  rendered 
it  necessary  that  the  men  be  moved  at  the  highest 
possible  speed.  The  road  itself  being  a  new  one, 
lately  cleared,  the  stumps  and  roots  of  trees  not  yet 
grubbed  up,  made  it  difficult  to  transport  the  artillery 
and  the  wagons :  but  the  tired  men  cheerfully  assisted 
the  tired  horses,  and  the  little  army  made  great  prog- 
ress. The  morning  of  Friday,  January  the  5th, 
dawned  clear  and  cold,  with  the  ground  covered  with 
hoar  frost.  About  sunrise  the  army,  with  Washing- 
ton again  in  the  lead,  reached  the  bridge  over  Stony 
Brook  about  three  miles  from  the  village  of  Princeton. 
Leading  the  main  body  across  the  bridge,  they  struck 

216 


THE   LION   TURNS   FOX 

off  from  the  main  highway  through  a  by-road  which 
was  concealed  by  a  grove  of  trees  in  the  lower  ground, 
and  afforded  a  short  cut  to  the  town. 

General  Mercer  was  an  old  friend  and  comrade  of 
the  commander-in-chief;  he  had  been  a  companion 
of  Prince  Charles  Edward  in  his  romantic  invasion  of 
England  in  '45,  a  member  of  Braddock's  unfortunate 
expedition,  and  wounded  when  that  general's  army 
was  annihilated;  and  sometime  commander  of  Fort 
Du  Quesne,  after  its  capture  by  General  Forbes.  He 
was  detailed,  with  a  small  advance  party  comprising 
the  remnants  of  Smallwood's  Marylanders,  Haslet's 
Delawareans,  and  Fleming's  Virginians,  and  a  small 
body  of  young  men  from  the  first  families  of  Phila- 
delphia, to  the  total  number  of  three  hundred,  to 
continue  up  the  road  along  the  brook  until  he  reached 
the  main  road,  where  he  was  to  try  and  hold  the 
bridge  in  order  to  intercept  fugitives  from  Princeton, 
or  check  any  retrograde  movement  of  the  troops 
which  might  have  advanced  toward  Trenton.  The 
little  band  had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance  on 
their  way,  when  they  unexpectedly  came  in  sight  of 
a  column  of  the  enemy. 

It  was  the  advance  of  the  British,  a  part  of  Von 
Donop's  leading  brigade,  en  route  for  Trenton  to 
assist  Cornwallis  in  bagging  the  "  old  fox  "  according 
to  orders,  —  the  Seventeenth  Regiment,  under  Colonel 
Mawhood.  Mercer's  troops  being  screened  by  the 
wood,  their  character  was  not  visible  to  Mawhood, 
who  conjectured  that  they  must  be  a  body  of  fugi- 
tives from  the  front.  Under  this  impression,  and  never 
dreaming  of  the  true  situation,  Mawhood  promptly 
deployed   his  regiment  and  moved  off  to  the  left  to 

217 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

intercept  Mercer,  at  the  same  time  despatching  mes- 
sengers to  bring  up  the  other  two  regiments,  the 
Fortieth  and  Fifty-fifth,  which  had  not  yet  left  Prince- 
ton. Both  parties  rushed  for  a  Httle  rising  ground  on 
the  edge  of  a  cleared  field,  near  the  house  of  a  peace- 
ful Quaker  named  Clark.  The  Americans  were 
nearer  the  goal  than  their  opponents,  and  reached  it 
first.  Hastily  deploying  his  column,  Mercer  sought 
shelter  behind  a  hedge  fence  which  crowned  the 
eminence,  and  immediately  opened  up  a  destructive 
fire  from  his  riflemen,  which  temporarily  checked  the 
advancing  enemy.  The  British,  excellently  led,  re- 
turned the  fire  with  great  spirit,  and  with  such  good 
effect  that,  after  a  few  volleys,  Mercer's  horse  was 
wounded  in  the  leg  and  his  rider  thrown  violently  to 
the  ground,  Talbot's  was  killed  under  him,  and  several 
of  the  officers  and  men  fell,  —  among  them  the  brave 
Colonel  Haslet,  who  was  mortally  wounded.  In  the 
confusion  thus  unfortunately  caused,  the  Americans 
could  hear  sharp  commands  of  the  English  officers, 
then  the  rattling  of  steel  on  the  gun-barrels,  and  the 
next  moment  the  red-coated  men  broke  out  of  the 
smoke  and,  unchecked  by  a  scattering  fire  from 
the  Americans,  gallantly  rushed  up  at  them  with 
fixed  bayonets.  There  were  unfortunately  no  bayo- 
nets in  this  small  brigade  of  the  Continental  army. 
A  few  of  the  men  clubbed  their  muskets  resolutely 
as  the  two  lines  met,  and  made  a  stout  resistance ; 
but  the  on-coming  British  would  not  be  denied,  and, 
as  the  charge  was  pressed  home,  the  Americans 
wavered,  broke,  and  fell  back  in  some  disorder  before 
the  vigorous  onslaught  of  the  veteran  troops.  Mer- 
cer, filled  with  shame,  strove  in  vain  to  rally  his  men. 

218 


THE   LION   TURNS   FOX 

Disdaining  himself  to  retreat,  and  gallantly  calling 
upon  them  to  advance,  he  threw  himself  upon  the 
advancing  British  line,  sword  in  hand,  followed  by  his 
officers,  and  for  a  brief  space  there  was  an  exciting 
melee  on  the  hill.  A  blow  from  the  butt  end  of  a 
musket  felled  the  general  to  the  ground.  Talbot 
sprang  to  his  side,  and  swept  the  bayonet  away  from 
his  heart  by  a  blow  of  his  sword  delivered  with 
a  quick  movement  of  his  powerful  arm.  Mercer 
profited  by  the  moment's  respite  to  leap  to  his  feet. 

"  Thank  you,  my  lad,"  he  said. 

"  Do  you  get  to  the  rear  and  rally  the  men,  gen- 
eral," cried  Talbot,  firing  a  pistol  at  short  range  into 
the  midst  of  the  crowding  enemy.  "  I  '11  hold  these 
men  in  play."  But  the  fighting  blood  of  the  old 
Scotchman  was  up,  and  for  answer  he  struck  boldly 
at  the  man  opposite  him. 

"  Surrender,  you  damned  rebels  !  "  cried  an  officer 
near  them. 

"  Never ! "  replied  Mercer,  cutting  down  the  man 
with  whom  he  was  engaged,  while  Talbot  did  the  like 
to  the  one  next  him.  With  a  roar  of  rage  the  British 
sprang  on  the  two  men.  In  a  trice  one  of  the  bayonets 
got  past  Mercer's  guard  and  grazed  his  arm,  another 
buried  itself  in  his  bosom,  a  third  struck  him  in  the 
breast.  The  old  man  struck  out  weakly,  dropped  his 
sword  and  fell,  pierced  by  a  dozen  wounds,  but  still 
breathing,  Talbot,  who  was  as  yet  unharmed,  though 
covered  with  blood  and  dust,  his  hat  gone,  stepped 
across  his  body. 

He  might  have  retreated,  being  young  and  active; 
but  that  was  not  the  custom  of  his  family,  neither 
would  he  abandon  the  body  of  his  brave  commander; 

219 


FOR  LOVE   OF  COUNTRY 

besides,  every  moment  of  delay  was  precious.  Surely 
they  would  be  reinforced  and  rallied ;  he  knew  the 
promptness  of  Washington  too  well  to  doubt  it  for 
a  moment;  and,  last  of  all,  what  was  life  without 
Kate?  One  glance  he  cast  to  the  bright  sky,  flushed 
with  the  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun,  and  then  he 
stood  on  guard.  The  young  man's  eyes  were  burn- 
ing with  the  intoxication  of  the  fight,  and  his  soul 
filled  with  great  resolve;  but  his  sword-play  was 
as  cool  and  as  rapid  as  it  had  been  in  the  Salle  des 
Armes  at  Paris,  where  few  could  be  found  to  master 
him.  The  little  group  of  British  paused  a  moment 
in  admiration  of  his  courage. 

"One  at  a  time,  gentlemen,"  he  cried,  smiling, 
and  warding  off  a  vicious  bayonet  thrust.  "Are 
there  none  here  who  will  cross  swords  with  me,  for 
the  honor  of  their  flag?  " 

The  young  lieutenant  in  command  of  that  part  of 
the  line  promptly  sprang  forward  and  engaged ;  the 
two  blades  rang  fiercely  together,  and  grated  along 
each  other  a  moment  later.  The  men  stepped  back. 
But  the  brave  lieutenant  had  met  his  match,  and, 
with  set  lips  and  iron  arm,  Talbot  drove  home  his 
blade  in  the  other's  heart.  Ere  he  could  recover 
himself  or  withdraw  his  sword,  he  was  beaten  to 
his  knees  by  a  blow  from  a  gun-barrel ;  the  blood 
ran  down  over  his  face. 

"  Surrender !  surrender !  "  they  cried  to  him,  "  and 
we  will  spare  your  life." 

For  answer  his  hand  sought  his  remaining  pistol. 
The  first  one  of  his  opponents  fell  dead  with  a  bullet 
through  his  heart,  and  the  next  moment  the  deadly 
steel  of  a  bayonet  was  buried  in  Talbot's  throat. 

220 


THE   LION  TURNS  FOX 

"  Kate  —  Kate !  "  he  cried  in  agony,  the  blood 
bubbling  from  his  lips,  and  then  another  bayonet 
found  his  gallant  heart ;  and  he  sank  down  on  his 
face,  at  the  foot  of  the  dying  officer,  his  lips  kissing 
the  soil  of  that  country  in  defence  of  whose  liberties 
he  had  fallen. 

As  was  customary  with  his  family,  he  had  died  on 
the  field,  grimly  facing  fearful  odds  to  the  last.  The 
last  of  his  line,  he  had  made  a  good  ending,  not 
unworthy  his  distinguished  ancestry;  for  none  of  the 
proud  and  gallant  race  had  ever  died  in  the  service 
of  a  better  cause,  be  it  that  of  king  or  Parliament, 
than  this  young  soldier  who  had  just  laid  down  his 
life  for  love  of  his  country! 

The  slight  check  afforded  by  the  interposition  of 
the  Americans  was  over.  The  British  were  sweep- 
ing everything  before  them,  when  Colonel  Mawhood, 
the  cool-headed  officer,  who  had  been  sitting  on  a 
little  brown  pony,  with  a  small  switch  in  his  hand, 
directing  the  combat,  became  aware  of  a  large  body 
of  men  coming  up  on  his  right  flank  through  the 
wood.  With  the  readiness  of  a  practised  soldier, 
he  instantly  stopped  the  advance  of  his  men,  wheeled 
them  about,  brought  up  his  guns,  and  prepared  to 
open  fire.  The  American  officers  had  time  to  mark 
with  admiration  the  skill  with  which  the  manoeuvre 
was  effected,  and  the  beautiful  precision  with  which 
the  men  carried  out  their  orders.  Then  the  force,  a 
large  body  of  Pennsylvania  militia  which  Washing- 
ton had  despatched  at  the  first  sound  of  firing  in  the 
direction  of  Mercer,  broke  out  of  the  wood,  and 
advanced  rapidly.  The  muskets  of  the  redcoats  were 
quickly  brought  to  the  shoulder,  and  at  the  word  of 


FOR  LOVE  OF  COUNTRY 

command  the  British  line  was  suddenly  tipped  with 
fire  and  then  covered  with  smoke.  Many  of  the 
militia  fell  at  this  volley  delivered  at  close  range; 
some  of  the  fallen  lay  still  and  motionless,  while 
others  groaned  with  pain;  the  raw  troops  fired 
hastily  into  the  smoke,  then  hesitated  and  stopped 
uncertainly  as  the  volley  was  repeated.  It  was 
another  critical  moment,  and  the  hour  brought  the 
man. 

Washington  himself  had  most  opportunely  arrived 
on  the  field  in  advance  of  the  troops,  attended  by 
Seymour.  One  glance  showed  him  Mercer's  broken 
retreating  column  and  the  hesitating  Pennsylvania 
militia!  Everything  was  at  stake.  It  was  not  a 
time  for  strategic  manoeuvres  now,  but  for  men  — 
nay,  there  were  men  there  as  good  as  ever  fought  — 
but  for  a  man  then.  Providentially  one  was  at  hand. 
Putting  spurs  to  his  gallant  white  horse,  he  rode 
down  the  line  in  front  of  the  Pennsylvania  militia, 
waving  his  hat  and  cheering  them  on. 

"An  old-fashioned  Virginia  fox-hunt,  gentlemen ! " 
he  cried  gayly,  giving  the  view  halloo !  Galloping 
forward  under  the  fire  of  the  British  battery,  he  called 
to  Mercer's  shattered  men.  They  halted  and  faced 
about;  the  Seventh  Virginia  broke  through  the  wood 
on  the  flank  of  the  British;  Hitchcock's  New  Eng- 
landers  came  up  on  the  run  with  fixed  bayonets; 
Moulder's  Philadelphia  battery  opened  fire  from  the 
hill  on  the  opposing  guns. 

The  fire  of  a  warrior  had  now  supplanted  the 
coolness  of  a  general.  Dashing  boldly  forward, 
reckless  of  the  storm  of  bullets,  to  within  thirty 
yards  of   the  British  line,  and  smiling  with  stern 


THE   LION   TURNS   FOX 

pleasure  in  the  crisis  which  seemed  to  develop  and 
bring  out  every  fibre  of  his  deep  nature,  he  called 
upon  his  men  to  come  on.  Recovering  themselves, 
they  responded  with  the  utmost  gallantry.  Mawhood 
was  surrounded  and  outnumbered,  his  victory  sud- 
denly changed  to  defeat ;  but,  excellent  soldier  that 
he  was,  he  fought  on  with  desperate  resolution,  and 
the  conflict  was  exceedingly  hot.  Washington  was 
in  the  thick  of  it.  Seymour,  who  had  followed  him 
closely  until  the  general  broke  away  in  the  smoke 
to  lead  the  charge,  lost  sight  of  him  for  a  moment, 
enveloped  as  he  was  in  the  dust  and  smoke  of  the 
battle.  When  he  saw  him  emerge  from  the  cloud, 
waving  his  sword,  and  beheld  the  enemy  giving  way 
on  every  side,  he  spurred  up  to  him. 

"  Thank  God  !  "  he  said ;  "  your  excellency  is  safe. " 

"Away!  away!  my  dear  Seymour,"  he  cried,  "and 
bring  up  the  troops.     The  day  is  our  own  !  " 

To  the  day  of  his  death  Seymour  never  lost  the 
splendid  impression  of  that  heroic  figure,  the  ruddy 
face  streaked  with  smoke  and  dust,  the  eyes  blazing 
with  the  joy  of  battle,  the  excitement  of  the  charge, 
the  mighty  sweep  of  the  mighty  arm!  Mawhood's 
men  were,  indeed,  routed  in  every  direction;  most 
of  them  laid  down  their  arms.  A  small  party  only, 
under  that  intrepid  leader,  succeeded  in  forcing  its 
way  through  the  American  ranks  with  the  bayonet, 
and  ran  at  full  speed  toward  Trenton  under  the 
stimulus  of  a  hot  pursuit. 

Meanwhile  the  Fifty-fifth  Regiment  had  been  vig- 
orously attacked  by  St.  Clair's  brigade,  and,  after  a 
short  action,  those  who  could  get  away  were  in  full 
retreat  towards  New  Brunswick.     The  last  regiment, 

223 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

the  Fortieth,  had  not  been  able  to  get  into  action  at 
all ;  a  part  of  it  fled  in  a  panic,  with  the  remains  of 
the  Fifty-fifth,  towards  New  Brunswick,  hotly  pursued 
by  Washington  with  the  Philadelphia  City  Troop  and 
what  cavalry  he  could  muster,  and  the  rest  took 
refuge  in  the  college  building  in  Princeton,  from 
which  they  were  dislodged  by  artillery  and  com- 
pelled to  surrender.  The  British  loss  was  about 
five  hundred  in  killed  and  wounded  and  prisoners, 
the  American  less  than  one  hundred;  but  among  the 
latter  were  many  valuable  officers,  —  Colonels  Haslet 
and  Potter,  Major  Morris,  Captains  Shippen,  Flem- 
ing, Talbot,  Neal,  and  General  Mercer. 

After  following  the  retiring  and  demoralized 
British  for  a  few  miles,  Washington  determined  to 
abandon  the  pursuit.  The  men  were  exhausted  by 
their  long  and  fatiguing  marches,  and  were  in  no 
condition  to  make  the  long  march  to  New  Bruns- 
wick; most  of  them  were  still  ill  equipped  and 
entirely  unfitted  for  the  fatigue  and  exposure  of  a 
further  winter  campaign,  — even  those  iron  men  must 
have  rest  at  last.  The  flying  British  must  have 
informed  Leslie's  troops,  six  miles  away,  of  the 
situation;  they  would  soon  be  upon  them,  and 
they  might  expect  Cornwallis  with  his  whole  force 
at  any  time.  He  drew  off  his  troops,  therefore,  and, 
leaving  a  strong  party  to  break  down  the  bridge  over 
Stony  Brook  and  impede  the  advance  of  the  English 
as  much  as  possible,  he  pushed  on  towards  Pluckamin 
and  Morristown,  officers  and  men  thoroughly  satis- 
fied with  their  brilliant  achievements. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  pickets  of  Cornwallis' 
army  discovered  that  something  was  wrong  in  the 

224 


THE   LION   TURNS   FOX 

American  camp ;  the  guard  had  been  withdrawn,  the 
fires  had  been  allowed  to  die  away,  and  the  place 
was  as  still  as  death.  A  few  adventurous  spirits, 
cautiously  crossing  the  bridge,  found  that  the  guns 
mounted  in  front  of  it  were  only  "quakers,"  and  that 
the  whole  camp  was  empty,  —  the  army  had  decamped 
silently,  and  stolen  away  before  their  eyes!  My 
Lord  Cornwall  is,  rudely  disturbed  from  those  rosy 
dreams  of  conquest  with  which  a  mocking  spirit  had 
beguiled  his  slumber,  would  not  credit  the  first 
report  of  his  astonished  officers;  but  investigation 
showed  him  that  the  "old  fox"  was  gone,  and  he 
would  not  be  bagged  that  morning  —  nor  on  any 
other  morning,  either!  But  where  had  he  gone? 
For  a  time  the  perplexed  and  chagrined  commander 
could  not  ascertain. 

The  Americans  had  vanished  —  disappeared  — 
leaving  absolutely  no  trace  behind  them,  and  it 
was  not  until  he  heard  the  heavy  booming  of  can- 
non from  the  northeast,  borne  upon  the  frosty  air  of 
the  cold  morning  about  sunrise,  that  he  divined  the 
brilliant  plan  of  his  wily  antagonist  and  discovered 
his  whereabouts.  He  had  been  outfought,  outma- 
noeuvred, outflanked,  and  outgeneralled !  The  dis- 
gusted British  were  sent  back  over  the  familiar  road 
to  Princeton,  now  in  hotter  haste  than  before.  His 
rear-guard  menaced,  perhaps  overwhelmed,  his  stores 
and  supplies  in  danger,  Cornwallis  pushed  on  for 
life  this  time.  The  English  officer  conceived  a 
healthy  respect  for  Washington  at  this  juncture 
which  did  not  leave  him  thereafter. 

The  short  distance  between  Trenton  and  Prince- 
ton on  the  direct  road  was  passed  in  a  remarkably 
IS  225 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

short  time  by  the  now  thoroughly  aroused  and  anxious 
British,  A  little  party  under  command  of  Seymour 
and  Kelly,  which  had  been  assiduously  engaged  in 
breaking  down  the  bridge  over  Stony  Brook,  was 
observed  and  driven  away  by  two  field-pieces,  which 
had  been  halted  and  unlimbered  on  a  commanding 
hill,  and  which  opened  fire  while  the  troops  advanced 
on  a  run ;  but  the  damage  had  been  done,  and  the 
bridge  was  already  impassable.  After  a  futile  at- 
tempt to  repair  it,  in  which  much  time  was  lost,  the 
indefatigable  earl  sent  his  troops  through  the  icy 
water  of  the  turbulent  stream,  which  rose  breast- 
high  upon  the  eager  men,  and  the  hasty  pursuit  was 
once  more  resumed.  A  mile  or  so  beyond  the 
bridge  the  whole  army  was  brought  to  a  stand  by  a 
sudden  discharge  from  a  heavy  gun,  which  did  some 
execution;  it  was  mounted  in  a  breastwork  some 
distance  ahead.  The  army  was  halted,  men  were 
sent  ahead  to  reconnoitre,  and  a  strong  column  de- 
ployed to  storm  what  was  supposed  to  be  a  heavy 
battery.  When  the  storming  party  reached  the 
works,  there  was  no  one  there !  A  lone  thirty-two- 
pounder,  too  unwieldy  to  accompany  the  rapid  march 
of  the  Americans,  had  been  left  behind,  and  Philip 
Wilton  had  volunteered  to  remain,  after  Seymour's 
party  had  passed,  and  further  delay  the  British  by 
firing  it  at  their  army  as  soon  as  they  came  in  range. 
These  delays  had  given  Washington  so  much  of  a 
start  that  Cornwallis,  despairing  of  ever  overtaking 
him,  finally  gave  up  the  pursuit,  and  pushed  on  in 
great  anxiety  to  New  Brunswick,  to  save,  if  possible, 
his  magazines,  which  he  had  the  satisfaction  in  the 
end  of  finding  intact. 

226 


THE   LION   TURNS   FOX 

To  complete  this  brief  rhum^  of  one  of  the  re- 
markable campaigns  of  history,  Washington  strongly 
fortified  himself  on  Cornwallis'  flank  at  Morristown, 
menacing  each  of  the  three  depots  held  by  the  British 
outside  New  York;  Putnam  advanced  from  Philadel- 
phia to  Trenton,  with  the  militia;  and  Heath  moved 
down  to  the  highlands  of  the  Hudson.  The  country 
people  of  New  Jersey  rose  and  cut  off  scattered 
detachments  of  the  British  in  every  direction,  until 
the  whole  of  the  field  was  eventually  abandoned  by 
them,  except  Amboy,  Newark,  and  New  Brunswick. 
The  world  witnessed  the  singular  spectacle  of  a 
large,  well-appointed  army  of  veteran  soldiery,  under 
able  leaders,  shut  up  in  practically  one  spot,  New 
York  and  a  few  near-by  villages,  and  held  there 
inexorably  by  a  phantom  army  which  never  was  more 
than  half  the  size  of  that  it  held  in  check!  The 
results  of  the  six  months'  campaign  were  to  be  seen 
in  the  possession  of  the  city  of  New  York  by  the 
British  army.  That  army,  which  had  won,  practi- 
cally, all  the  battles  in  which  it  had  engaged,  which 
had  followed  the  Americans  through  six  months  of 
disastrous  defeat  and  retreat,  and  had  overrun  two 
colonies,  now  had  nothing  to  show  for  all  its  efforts 
but  the  ground  upon  which  it  stood !  And  this  was 
the  result  of  the  genius,  the  courage,  the  audacity 
of  one  man,  —  George  Washington !  The  world  was 
astounded,  and  he  took  an  assured  place  thencefor- 
ward among  the  first  soldiers  of  that  or  any  age. 

Even  the  English  themselves  could  not  withhold 
their  admiration.  The  gallant  and  brave  Cornwallis, 
a  soldier  of  no  mean  ability  himself,  and  well  able 
to  estimate  what  could   be  done  with  a  small  and 

227 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

feeble  force,  never  forgot  his  surprise  at  the  Assun- 
pink ;  and  when  he  congratulated  Washington,  at  the 
surrender  of  Yorktown  years  after,  upon  the  brilliant 
combination  which  had  resulted  in  the  capture  of 
the  army,  he  added  these  words :  "  But,  after  all, 
your  excellency's  achievements  in  the  Jerseys  were 
such  that  nothing  could  surpass  them  !  "  And  the 
witty  and  wise  old  cynic,  Mr.  Horace  Walpole, 
with  his  usual  discrimination,  wrote  to  a  friend,  Sir 
Horace  Mann,  when  he  heard  of  the  affair  at  Tren- 
ton, the  night  march  to  Princeton,  and  the  successful 
attack  there:  "Washingon,  the  dictator,  has  shown 
himself  both  a  Fabius  and  a  Camillus.  His  march 
through  our  lines  is  allowed  to  have  been  a  prodigy 
of  generalship ! " 


328 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 
The  British  Play  "  Taps  " 

THE  day  after  the  battle  Washington  sent  his 
nephew,  Major  Lewis,  under  protection  of  a 
flag  of  truce,  to  attend  upon  the  wounded  General 
Mercer;  the  exigency  of  his  pursuit  of  the  flying 
British  and  their  subsequent  pursuit  of  him  having 
precluded  him  from  giving  to  his  old  friend  that 
personal  attention  which  would  have  so  accorded 
with  his  kindly  heart  and  the  long  affection  in  which 
he  had  held  the  old  Scotchman.  Seymour  received 
permission  to  accompany  Lewis,  in  order  to  ascertain 
if  possible  what  had  become  of  Talbot. 

The  men  of  Mercer's  command  reported  that  they 
had  seen  the  two  officers  dismounted  and  fighting 
bravely,  after  having  refused  to  retreat.  The  two 
young  officers  were  very  melancholy  as  they  rode 
along  the  familiar  road.  Lewis  belonged  to  a  Vir- 
ginia regiment,  and  had  known  both  Mercer  and 
Talbot  well,  and  in  fact  all  the  officers  who  had  been 
killed.  The  officers  of  that  little  army  were  like  a 
band  of  brothers,  and  after  every  battle  there  was 
a  general  mourning  for  the  loss  of  many  friends. 
The  casualties  among  the  officers  in  the  sharp  en- 
gagement had  been  unusually  severe,  and  entirely 
disproportioned  to  the  total  loss;  the  bulk  of  the 
loss  had  fallen  upon  Mercer's  brigade. 

229 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

They  found  the  general  in  Clark's  farmhouse, 
near  the  field  of  battle,  lingering  in  great  pain,  and 
slowly  dying  from  a  number  of  ferocious  bayonet 
wounds.  He  was  attended  by  his  aid,  Major  Arm- 
strong, and  the  celebrated  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush  came 
especially  from  Philadelphia  to  give  the  dying  hero 
the  benefit  of  his  skill  and  services.  He  had  been 
treated  with  the  greatest  respect  by  the  enemy,  for 
Cornwallis  was  always  quick  to  recognize  and  respect 
a  gallant  soldier.  The  kindly  Quakers  had  spared 
neither  time  nor  trouble  to  lighten  his  dying  hours, 
and  the  women  of  the  household  nursed  him  with 
gentle  and  assiduous  care.  He  passed  away  ten  days 
after  the  battle,  leaving  to  his  descendants  the  untar- 
nished name  of  a  gallant  soldier  and  gentleman,  who 
never  faltered  in  the  pursuit  of  his  high  ideals  of 
duty.  Brief  as  had  been  his  career  as  a  general  in 
the  Revolution,  his  memory  is  still  cherished  by  a 
grateful  posterity,  as  one  of  the  first  heroes  of  that 
mighty  struggle  for  liberty. 

Details  of  the  British  were  already  marching  toward 
the  field  of  action  to  engage  in  the  melancholy  work 
of  burying  the  dead,  when  Seymour,  under  Major 
Armstrong's  guidance,  went  over  the  ground  in  a 
search  for  Talbot.  He  had  no  difficulty  in  finding 
the  place  where  his  friend  had  fallen.  The  field  had 
not  been  disturbed  by  any  one.  A  bloody  frozen 
mass  of  ice  and  snow  had  shown  where  Mercer  had 
fallen,  and  across  the  place  where  his  feet  had  been 
lay  the  body  of  Talbot.  In  front  of  him  lay  the 
lieutenant  with  whom  he  had  fought,  the  sword  still 
buried  in  his  breast ;  farther  away  were  the  two  men 
that  the  general  and  he  had  cut  down  in  the  first 

230 


THE   BRITISH   PLAY   "TAPS" 

onslaught,  and  at  his  feet  was  the  corpse  of  the 
man  he  had  last  shot,  his  stiffened  hands  still  tightly 
clasping  his  gun.  Around  on  the  field  were  the 
bodies  of  many  others  who  had  fallen.  Some  of  the 
Americans  had  been  literally  pinned  to  the  earth  by 
the  fierce  bayonet  thrusts  they  had  received  in  the 
charge;  some  of  the  British  had  been  frightfully 
mangled  and  mashed  by  blows  from  the  clubbed 
rifles  of  the  Americans  before  they  had  retreated. 
Off  to  the  right  a  long  line  of  motionless  bodies 
marked  where  the  Pennsylvania  militia  had  advanced 
and  halted ;  there  in  the  centre,  lying  in  heaps,  were 
the  reminders  of  the  fiercest  spot  of  the  little  conflict, 
where  Moulder's  battery  had  been  served  with  such 
good  effect;  here  was  the  place  where  Washington 
had  led  the  charge. 

In  one  brief  quarter  of  an  hour  nearly  three  hundred 
men  had  given  up  their  lives,  on  this  little  farm,  and 
there  they  lay  attesting  in  mute  silence  their  fidelity 
to  their  principles,  warm  red  coat  and  tattered  blue 
coat  side  by  side,  peace  between  them  at  last;  indif- 
ferent each  to  the  severities  of  nature  or  the  passions 
of  men;  unheeding  alike  the  ambitions  of  kings,  the 
obstinacy  of  parliaments,  or  the  desire  of  liberty  on 
the  part  of  peoples.  Some  were  lying  calmly,  as  if 
their  last  moments  had  been  as  peaceful  as  when 
little  children  they  laid  themselves  down  to  sleep ; 
others  twisted  and  contorted  with  looks  of  horror 
and  anguish  fixed  upon  their  mournful  faces,  which 
bespoke  agonies  attending  the  departure  of  life  like 
to  the  travail  pains  with  which  it  had  been  ushered 
into  existence.  Seymour  with  a  sad  heart  stooped 
and  turned  over  the  body  of  his  friend,  lifting  his 

231 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

face  once  more  to  that  heaven  he  had  gazed  upon  so 
bravely  a  few  hours  since  —  for  it  was  morning  again, 
but  oh,  how  different !  The  face  was  covered  with 
blood  from  the  wound  in  the  forehead,  by  which  he 
had  been  beaten  down.  Sadly,  tenderly,  gratefully, 
remembering  an  hour  when  Talbot  had  knelt  by  his 
side  and  performed  a  similar  service,  he  endeavored 
to  wipe  the  lurid  stains  from  off  his  marble  brow. 
Then  a  thought  came  to  him.  Taking  from  his 
breast  Katharine's  handkerchief,  which  had  never 
left  him,  he  moistened  it  in  the  snow,  and  finding  an 
unstained  place  where  her  dainty  hand  had  embroi- 
dered her  initials  "  K.  W.,"  he  carefully  wiped  clean 
the  white  face  of  his  dead  friend.  There  was  a  little 
smile  upon  Talbot's  lips,  and  a  look  of  peace  and 
calm  upon  his  face,  which  Seymour  had  not  seen 
him  wear  since  the  sinking  of  the  frigate.  His 
right  hand,  whiter  than  the  lace  which  drooped  over 
it,  was  pressed  against  his  heart,  evidently  as  the 
result  of  his  last  conscious  movement.  Seymour 
bent  down  and  lifted  it  up  gently ;  there  was  some- 
thing beneath  it  inside  his  waistcoat.  The  young 
sailor  reverently  inserted  his  hand  and  drew  it  forth. 
It  was  a  plain  gold  locket.  Touching  the  spring,  it 
opened,  and  there  were  pictured  the  faces  of  the 
two  women  Talbot  had  loved, — on  the  one  side  the 
mother,  stately,  proud,  handsome,  resolute,  the  image 
of  the  man  himself;  on  the  other,  the  brown  eyes 
and  the  fair  hair  and  the  red  lips  of  beautiful  Kath- 
arine Wilton.  There  was  a  letter  too  in  the  pocket 
The  bayonet  thrust  which  had  reached  his  heart  had 
gone  through  it,  and  it,  and  the  locket  also,  was 
stained   with   blood.     The   letter   was   addressed   to 

232 


THE   BRITISH   PLAY   "TAPS" 

Seymour;  wondering,  he  broke  the  seal  and  read  it 
It  was  a  brief  note,  written  in  camp  the  night  of  the 
march.  It  would  seem  that  Talbot  had  a  presenti- 
ment that  he  might  die  in  the  coming  conflict;  in- 
deed the  letter  plainly  showed  that  he  meant  to  seek 
death,  to  court  it  in  the  field.  His  mother  was  to  be 
told  that  he  had  done  his  duty,  and  had  not  failed 
in  sustaining  the  traditions  of  his  honorable  house; 
and  the  honest  soldierly  little  note  ended  with  these 
words,  — 

As  for  you,  my  dear  Seymour,  would  that  fate  had 
been  kinder  to  you  !  Were  Katharine  alive,  I  would 
crave  your  permission  to  say  these  words  to  her :  '  I 
love  you,  Kate,  —  Fve  always  loved  you — but  the 
better  man  has  won  you!  My  best  love  to  the  old 
mother.  Won't  you  take  it  to  her  f  Andgood-by,  and 
God  bless  you  !  Hilary  Talbot. 

The  brilliance  went  out  of  the  sunshine,  the  bright- 
ness faded  out  of  the  morning,  and  Seymour  stood 
there  with  the  tears  running  down  his  cheeks,  —  not 
ashamed  to  weep  for  his  friend.  And  yet  the  man 
was  with  Kate,  he  thought,  and  happy,  —  he  could 
almost  envy  him  his  quiet  sleep.  The  course  of  his 
thoughts  was  rudely  broken  by  the  approach  of  a 
party  of  horsemen,  who  rode  up  to  where  he  stood. 
Their  leader,  a  bold  handsome  young  man,  of  dis- 
tinguished appearance,  in  the  brilliant  dress  of  a 
British  general  officer,  reined  in  his  steed  close  by 
him,  and  addressed  him. 

"  How  now,  sir  !  Weeping?  Tears  do  not  become 
a  soldier !  " 

233 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  Ah,  sir,"  said  Seymour,  saluting,  and  pointing 
down  to  Talbot's  body  at  the  same  time,  "  not  even 
when  one  mourns  the  death  of  a  friend  ?  " 

*'  Your  friend,  sir? "  replied  the  general  officer, 
courteously,  uncovering  and  looking  down  at  the 
bodies  with  interest;  his  practised  eye  immediately 
taking  in  the  details  of  the  little  conflict. 

"  He  did  not  go  to  his  death  alone,"  he  said  mean- 
ingly. "  '  Fore  Gad,  sir,  here  has  been  a  pretty  fight ! 
Your  name  and  rank,  sir?  " 

"Lieutenant  John  Seymour,  of  the  American  Con- 
tinental navy,  volunteer  aid  on  his  excellency  Gen- 
eral Washington's  staff." 

*'  And  what  do  you  here?     Are  you  a  prisoner?  " 

"  No,  sir,  I  came  with  Major  Lewis  to  visit  General 
Mercer,  and  to  look  for  my  friend,  under  cover  of  a 
flag  of  truce." 

"  Ha !     How  is  General  Mercer?  " 

"  Frightfully  wounded ;  he  cannot  live  very  long 
now." 

"  He  was  a  gallant  fellow,  so  I  am  told,  sir,  and 
fought  the  father  of  his  majesty  in  the  '45." 

"Yes,"  said  Seymour,  simply;  "this  is  where  he 
fell." 

The  general  looked  curiously  about  him. 

"  And  who  was  your  dead  friend?  "  he  continued. 

"  Captain  Hilary  Talbot,  of  Virginia,  of  General 
Washington's  staff." 

"What!  Not  Talbot  of  Fairview  Hall  on  the 
Potomac?"  said  one  of  the  officers. 

"  The  same,  sir." 

"Gad,  my  lord.  Madam  Talbot's  a  red-hot  Tory! 
She  swears  by  the  king.     I  've  been  entertained  at  the 

234 


THE   BRITISH    PLAY   "TAPS" 

house,  —  not  when  the  young  man  was  there,  but 
while  he  was  away,  —  and  a  fine  place  it  is.  Well, 
here  's  a  house  divided  truly !  " 

"  Is  it  indeed  so,  Mr.  Seymour?  " 

The  young  man  nodded  affirmatively. 

"What  were  you  proposing  to  do  with  the  body?" 

"  Bury  it  near  here,  sir,  in  the  cemetery  on  the  hill 
by  the  college.  We  have  no  means  of  transporting 
it  hence." 

"  Well,  you  shall  do  so,  and  we  will  bury  him  like  a 
soldier.  I  remember  the  family  now,  in  England, 
very  well.  Don't  they  call  them  the  Loyal  Talbots? 
Yes,  I  thought  so.  He  was  a  rebel,  and  so  far  false 
to  his  creed,  but  a  gentleman  nevertheless,  and  a 
brave  one  too.  Look  at  the  fight  he  made  here, 
gentlemen !  Damme,  he  shall  have  an  escort  of 
the  king's  own  troops,  and  Lord  Cornwallis  himself 
and  his  staff  for  his  chief  mourners !  eh,  Erskine?  " 
said  the  gallant  earl,  turning  to  the  officer  who  rode 
near  him. 

"  How  will  that  suit  you,  Mr.  Seymour?  You  can 
tell  that  to  his  poor  old  mother  too,  when  you  see 
her  once  again.  Some  of  you  bring  up  a  company 
of  troops  and  get  a  gun  carriage,  —  there's  an  aban- 
doned one  of  Mawhood's  over  there,  —  and  we  '11  take 
him  up  properly.  Have  you  a  horse,  sir?  Ah,  that's 
well,  and  bring  a  Prayer  Book  if  you  can  find  one,  — 
I  doubt  if  there  be  any  in  my  staff.  I  presume  the 
man  was  a  Churchman,  and  he  shall  have  prayers  too. 
We  have  no  coffin  for  him,  either;  but  stay  —  here  's 
my  own  cloak,  a  proper  shroud  for  a  soldier,  surely 
that  will  do  nicely ;  and  now  let  us  go  on,  gentlemen." 

In  a  short  time  the  martial  cortege  reached  the  little 
235 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

Presbyterian  cemetery.  The  young  man  wrapped  in 
the  general's  cloak  was  soon  laid  away  in  the  shallow 
grave,  which  had  hastily  been  made  ready  for  him. 
Seymour,  attended  by  the  two  other  American  offi- 
cers, Armstrong  and  Lewis,  after  cutting  off  a  lock  of 
Talbot's  dark  hair  for  his  mother,  read  the  burial  ser- 
vice out  of  the  young  soldier's  own  little  Prayer  Book, 
which  he  had  found  in  the  pocket  of  his  coat ;  as  the 
earth  was  put  upon  him,  Cornwallis  and  his  officers 
stood  about  reverently  uncovered,  while  the  sailor  read 
with  faltering  lips  the  old  familiar  words,  which  for 
twenty  centuries  have  whispered  of  comfort  to  the 
heart-broken  children  of  men,  and  illumined  the  dark 
future  by  an  eternal  hope  —  nay,  rather,  fixed  assur- 
ance —  of  life  everlasting. 

There  was  one  tender-hearted  woman  there  too,  one 
of  the  sweet- faced  daughters  of  the  kindly  Quaker, 
Miss  Clark.  She  had  taken  time  to  twine  a  hasty 
wreath  from  the  fragrant  ever-verdant  pine;  when 
the  little  mound  of  earth  was  finished,  softly  she  laid 
it  down,  breathing  a  prayer  for  the  mother  in  far-off 
Virginia  as  she  did  so. 

Then  they  all  drew  back  while  the  well-trained 
soldiers  fired  the  last  three  volleys,  and  the  drum- 
mers beat  the  last  call.  'T  was  the  same  simple  end- 
ing which  closes  the  career  of  all  soldiers,  of  whatever 
degree,  when  they  come  to  occupy  those  narrow  quar- 
ters, where  earthly  considerations  of  rank  and  station 
are  forgot. 

"  Sir,  I  beg  to  thank  you  for  this  distinguished 
courtesy,"  said  Seymour,  with  deep  feeling,  extend- 
ing his  hand  to  the  knightly  Briton. 

"  Do  not  mention  it,  sir,  I  beg  of  you,"  replied 
236 


THE   BRITISH   PLAY   "TAPS" 

CornwalHs,  shaking  his  hand  warmly.  "  You  will  do 
the  same  for  one  of  us,  I  am  sure,  should  occasion 
ever  demand  a  like  service  at  your  hands.  I  will  see 
that  your  other  men  and  officers  are  properly  buried. 
Do  you  return  now?  " 

"  Immediately,  my  lord." 

"  Pray  present  my  compliments  to  Mr.  —  nay, 
General  —  Washington,"  said  the  generous  com- 
mander, "  and  congratulate  him  upon  his  brilliant 
campaign.  Ay,  and  tell  him  we  look  forward  eagerly 
to  trying  conclusions  with  him  again.  Good-by,  sir. 
Come,  gentlemen,"  he  cried,  raising  his  hat  gracefully 
as  he  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  away,  followed  by 
his  staff. 


m 


CHAPTER   XXIX 
The  Last  of  the  Talbots 

IT  was  with  a  sinking  heart  that  Seymour  rode  up 
the  hill  toward  Fairview  Hall  a  few  days  later. 
There  had  been  a  light  fall  of  snow  during  the  pre- 
ceding night,  and  the  brilliant  sun  of  the  early  morn- 
ing had  not  yet  gained  sufficient  strength  to  melt  it 
away.  There  was  a  softening  touch  therefore  about 
the  familiar  scene,  and  Seymour,  who  had  never 
viewed  it  in  the  glory  of  its  summer,  thought  he  had 
never  known  it  to  look  so  beautiful.  Heartily  greeted 
as  he  passed  on  by  the  various  servants  of  the  family, 
with  whom  he  was  a  great  favorite,  he  finally  drew 
rein  and  dismounted  before  the  great  flight  of  steps 
which  led  up  to  the  terrace  upon  which  the  house 
stood.  His  arrival  had  not  been  unnoticed,  and 
Madam  Talbot  was  standing  in  the  doorway  to  greet 
him.  He  noticed  that  she  looked  paler  and  thinner 
and  older,  but  she  held  herself  as  erect  and  carried 
herself  as  proudly  as  she  had  always  done.  Grief 
and  disappointment  and  broken  hope  might  change 
and  destroy  the  natural  tissues  and  fibres  of  her  being, 
but  they  could  not  alter  her  iron  will.  Tossing  the 
bridle  to  one  of  the  attendant  servants,  Seymour,  hat 
in  hand,  walked  slowly  up  the  steps  and  across  the 
grass  plat,  and  stepped  upon  the  porch.     She  watched 

238 


THE   LAST   OF   THE   TALBOTS 

him  in  silence,  with  a  frightful  sinking  of  the  heart; 
the  gravity  of  his  demeanor  and  the  pallor  of  his  face, 
in  which  she  seemed  to  detect  a  shade  of  pity  which 
her  pride  resented,  apprised  her  that  whatever  news 
he  had  brought  would  be  ill  for  her  to  hear,  but  her 
rigid  face  and  composed  manner  gave  no  indication 
of  the  deadly  conflict  within.  Seymour  bowed  low 
to  her,  and  she  returned  his  salute  with  a  sweeping 
courtesy,  old-fashioned  and  graceful. 

"  Lieutenant  Seymour  is  very  welcome  to  Fairview 
Hall,  though  I  trust  it  be  not  the  compelling  neces- 
sity of  a  wound  which  makes  him  seek  our  hospitality 
again,"  she  said,  faintly  smiling. 

'*  Oh,  madam,"  said  Seymour,  softly,  yet  in  utter 
desperation  as  to  how  to  begin,  "  unfortunately  it  is 
not  to  be  cured  of  wounds,  but  to  inflict  them  that 
this  time  I  am  come,  I  —  I  am  sorry  —  that  I  have 
to  tell  you  that  —  I  — "  he  continued  with  great 
hesitation. 

"  You  are  a  bearer  of  ill  tidings,  I  perceive,"  she 
continued  gravely.  "  Speak  your  message,  sir.  What- 
ever it  may  be,  I  trust  the  God  I  serve  to  give  me 
strength  to  bear  it.  Is  it  —  is  it  —  Hilary?"  she 
went  on,  with  just  a  suggestion  of  a  break  in  her  even, 
carefully  modulated  tones. 

"  Yes,  dear  madam.     He  —  he  —  " 

"  Stop !  I  had  almost  forgotten  my  duty.  Tell 
me  first  of  the  armies  of  my  king.  The  king  first  of 
all  with  our  house,  you  know." 

Poor  Seymour!  he  must  overwhelm  her  with  bad 
news  in  every  field  of  her  affection.  For  a  moment  he 
almost  wished  the  results  had  been  the  other  way. 
The  perspiration  stood  out  upon  his  forehead  in  spite 

239 


FOR  LOVE   OF  COUNTRY 

of  the  coldness,  and  he  felt  he  would  rather  charge  a 
battery  than  face  this  terrible  old  woman  who  put  the 
armies  of  a  king  —  and  such  a  king  too  —  before  the 
fate  of  her  only  son !  And  yet  he  knew  that  what  he 
had  to  tell  her  would  break  down  even  her  iron  will, 
and  reaching  the  mother's  heart  beating  warm  within 
her  in  spite  of  her  assumed  coldness  and  self-repres- 
sion, would  probably  give  her  a  death-blow.  He  felt 
literally  like  a  murderer  before  her,  but  he  had  to 
answer.  Talbot's  own  letter,  General  Washington's 
command,  and  the  promptings  of  his  own  affection 
had  made  him  an  actor  in  this  pathetic  drama. 
He  had  no  choice  but  to  proceed.  The  truth  must 
be  told.  Nerving  himself  to  the  inevitable,  he  re- 
plied to  her  question,  — 

"  The  armies  of  the  king  have  been  defeated  and 
forced  to  retire.  General  Washington  has  outma- 
noeuvred and  outfought  them ;  they  are  now  shut  up  in 
New  York  again.  The  Jerseys  are  free,  and  we  have 
taken  upward  of  two  thousand  prisoners,  and  many 
are  killed  and  wounded  among  them,  — on  both  sides, 
in  truth,"  he  added. 

"  The  worst  news  first,"  she  replied.  "  One  knows 
not  why  these  things  are  so.  It  seems  the  God  of 
Justice  slumbers  when  subjects  rebel  against  their 
rightful  kings  !  But  I  have  faith,  sir.  The  right  will 
win  in  the  end  —  must  win." 

"  So  be  it,"  he  said,  accepting  the  implied  chal- 
lenge, but  adding  nothing  further.  He  would  wait  to 
be  questioned  now,  and  this  strange  woman  should 
have  the  story  in  the  way  that  pleased  her  best.  As 
for  her  she  could  not  trust  herself  to  speak.  Never 
before  had  her  trembling  body,  her  beating  heart 

240 


THE   LAST   OF  THE  TALBOTS 

escaped  from  the  domination  of  her  resolute  will. 
Never  before  had  her  mobile  lips  refused  to  formu- 
late the  commands  of  her  active  brain.  She  fought 
her  battle  out  in  silence,  and  finally  turned  toward 
him  once  more. 

"  There  was  something  else  you  said,  I  think.  My 
• — my  son?"  Her  voice  sank  to  a  whisper;  in  spite 
of  herself  one  hand  went  to  her  heart.  Ah,  mother, 
mother,  this  was  indeed  thy  king !  "Is  —  is  he 
wounded?  —  My  God,  sir!     Not  dead?" 

His  open  hand  which  he  had  extended  to  her  held 
two  Httle  objects.  What  were  they  ?  The  bright  sun- 
light was  reflected  from  one  of  them,  the  locket  she 
had  given  him.  There  was  a  dark  discoloration  on  one 
side  of  it  which  she  had  never  seen  before.  The  other 
was  his  Prayer  Book.  O  God  —  prayer !  Was 
there  then  a  God,  that  such  things  could  happen? 
Where  was  He  that  day?  She  had  given  that  book 
to  him  when  he  was  yet  a  child.  "  Dead,"  —  she 
whispered,  —  "dead,"  shrinking  back  and  staring  at 
him. 

"  Would  God  I  had  died  in  his  place,  dear  madam !  " 
he  said  with  infinite  pity. 

"  How  —  how  was  it .-' "  she  went  on,  dry-eyed,  in 
agony,  moistening  her  cracking  lips. 

"  Fighting  like  a  hero  over  the  body  of  General 
Mercer  at  Princeton.  His  men  retreated  and  left 
them — " 

"  The  rebel  cowards,"  she  interrupted. 

"  Nay,  not  cowards,  but  perhaps  less  brave  than  he. 
The  British  charged  with  their  bayonets ;  our  men  had 
not  that  weapon,  they  fell  back." 

"Were  you  there,  sir?" 
i6  241 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  Surely  not !  Should  I  be  here  now  if  I  had  been 
there  then,  madam?"  he  replied  proudly. 

"  True,  true !  you  at  least  are  a  gentleman.  For- 
give the  question." 

"  General  Mercer  and  some  of  his  officers  sprang 
at  the  line.  I  had  it  from  his  own  lips.  Some  one 
cut  the  general  down ;  Hilary  interposed,  and  enabled 
him  to  rise  to  his  feet;  they  were  attacked,  fought 
bravely  until  —  until  —  they  died." 

Stricken  to  the  death  at  least,  but  determined  to 
die  as  the  rest  had  died,  fighting,  she  drew  herself 
up  resolutely,  and  lifted  her  hand  to  that  pitiless 
heaven  above  her.  "  So  —  be  —  it  —  unto  —  all  — 
the  —  enemies  —  "  When  had  he  heard  her  say  that 
before,  he  wondered  in  horror.  She  stopped,  her 
face  went  whiter  before  him,  the  light  went  out  of  it. 

"  Oh,  my  son,  my  son  —  O  God,  my  son,  my  son  — 
Oh,  give  him  back,  my  son  —  my  son ! "  She  reeled 
and  fell  against  him,  moaning  and  beating  the  air 
with  her  little  feeble  hands.  The  break  had  come 
at  last ;  she  was  no  longer  a  Talbot,  but  a  woman. 
With  infinite  pity  and  infinite  care  he  half  led,  half 
carried  her  into  the  house,  and  then,  after  being 
bidden  not  to  summon  assistance,  he  sank  down  on 
his  knees  by  her  side,  where  she  lay  on  the  sofa  in 
the  parlor,  crushed,  broken,  feeble,  helpless,  old. 
With  many  interruptions  he  told  her  the  sad  story. 
He  laid  the  long  dark  lock  of  hair  he  had  cut  from 
her  son's  head  in  her  hand.  There  was  a  letter  from 
George  Washington  which  he  read  to  her,  in  which, 
after  many  tender  words  of  consolation,  he  spoke  of 
Talbot  as  "  one  who  would  have  done  honor  to  any 
country."     He  told  her  of  that  military  funeral,  the 

242 


THE   LAST   OF  THE   TALBOTS 

kind  words  of  Cornwallis,  the  guard  of  honor,  the 
soldiers  of  the  king,  and  then  he  put  Talbot's  own 
letter  to  him  before  her,  and  she  must  be  told  of 
the  loss  of  the  frigate.  Kate  dead  too,  and  Colonel 
Wilton.  Alas,  poor  friends !  But  all  her  plans  and 
hopes  were  gone ;  what  mattered  it  —  what  mattered 
anything  now ! 

"  Oh,  what  a  load  must  those  unrighteous  men  bear 
before  God  who  have  inaugurated  this  wicked  war!  " 
she  cried ;  but  no  echo  of  her  reproach  was  heard  in 
the  houses  of  Parliament  in  London,  or  whispered 
in  the  antechamber  of  the  king,  to  whom,  assuredly, 
they  belonged. 

And  by  and  by  he  left  her.  It  wrung  his  heart 
so  to  do,  but  the  call  of  duty  was  stronger  than  her 
need.  His  ship  was  ready,  or  would  be  in  a  short 
time,  and  he  had  snatched  a  few  days  from  his  press- 
ing work  to  fulfil  this  task.  His  presence  was  abso- 
lutely necessary  on  the  vessel,  and  he  must  go. 
Saying  nay  to  her  piteous  plea  that  he  should  stay, 
and  most  reluctantly  refusing  her  proffers  of  hospi- 
tality, after  leaving  with  her  the  letters  and  the  pic- 
tures, he  left  the  room.  But  in  the  doorway  he 
looked  back  at  her.  The  tears  had  come  at  last. 
Moved  by  a  sudden  impulse,  he  ran  back  and  knelt 
down  by  her,  and  took  her  old  face  beween  his  hands 
and  kissed  her. 

"Good-by,  dear  madam,"  he  whispered;  "would 
it  had  been  I ! " 

She  laid  her  thin  hands  upon  his  head. 

"Good-by,"  she  whispered;  "God  bless  you.  Oh, 
my  boy  —  my  boy !  "  She  turned  her  face  to  the  wall 
in  bitterness,  and  so  he  fled. 

243 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

On  the  brow  of  the  hill  one  could  see,  if  he  were 
keen-eyed,  the  Wilton  place.  There  was  the  boat- 
house.  There  she  had  said  she  loved  him.  He 
struck  spurs  to  his  horse  and  galloped  madly  away. 
Was  there  nothing  but  grief  and  sorrow,  then,  under 
the  sun? 

The  lawyer  and  the  doctor  and  the  minister 
were  with  Madam  Talbot  all  that  day,  but  it  was 
little  they  could  do.  She  added  a  codicil  to  her 
will  with  the  lawyer,  submissively  took  the  medi- 
cine the  doctor  left  her,  and  listened  quietly  to  the 
prayers  of  the  priest.  In  the  morning  they  found 
her  whiter,  stiller,  calmer  than  ever.  She  had  gone 
to  meet  her  son  in  that  new  country  where  none 
rebel  against  the  King! 


244 


:bod6  IV 

A  DEATH  GRAPPLE  ON   THE  DEEP 


245 


CHAPTER   XXX 
A  Sailors  Opinion  of  the  Land 

IT  was  a  delightful  morning  in  February.  The 
Continental  ship  Randolph,  a  tight  little  thirty- 
two-gun  frigate,  the  first  to  get  to  sea  of  those 
ordered  by  Congress  in  1775,  was  just  leaving  the 
beautiful  harbor  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
by  way  of  the  main  ship  channel,  on  her  maiden 
cruise,  under  the  command  of  Captain  John  Seymour 
Seymour,  late  first  lieutenant  of  the  Ranger.  This 
was  the  second  departure  she  had  taken  from  that 
port.  Forced  by  severe  damages,  incurred  in  an  en- 
counter with  a  heavy  gale  shortly  after  leaving  Phila- 
delphia, to  put  into  that  harbor  for  needed  repairs 
to  the  new  and  unsettled  vessel,  she  had  put  to  sea 
again  after  a  short  interval,  and  in  one  week  had 
taken  six  valuable  prizes,  one  of  them,  an  armed 
vessel  of  twenty  guns,  after  a  short  action.  After 
this  brief  and  brilliant  excursion  she  had  put  back 
to  Charleston  to  dispose  of  her  prizes,  re-collect  her 
prize  crews,  and  land  her  prisoners. 

There  was  another  motive,  however,  for  the  sudden 
return.  From  one  of  the  prizes  it  had  been  learned 
that  the  English  thirty-two-gun  frigate  Carrysford, 
the  twenty-gun  sloop  Perseus,  the  sixteen-gun  sloop 
Hinchinbrook,  with  several  privateers,  had  been 
cruising  off  the  coast  together,  and  the  commander 

247 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

of  the  Randolph  was  most  anxious  to  get  the  help 
of  some  of  the  South  Carolina  State  cruisers  to  go 
in  search  of  the  British  ships.  The  indefatigable 
Governor  Rutledge,  when  the  news  had  been  com- 
municated to  him,  had  worked  assiduously  to  pro- 
vide the  State  ships,  and  the  young  captain  of  the 
Randolph  speedily  found  himself  at  the  head  of  a 
little  fleet  of  war  vessels  outward  bound. 

The  departure  of  the  squadron,  the  Randolph 
in  the  lead,  the  rest  following,  and  all  under  full 
sail,  made  a  pretty  picture  to  the  enthusiastic  Caro- 
linians, who  watched  them  from  the  islands  and 
fortifications  in  the  harbor,  and  from  a  number  of 
small  boats  which  accompanied  the  war  ships  a  short 
distance  on  their  voyage.  Besides  Seymour's  own 
vessel,  there  were  the  eighteen-gun  ship  General 
Moultrie,  the  two  sixteen-gun  ships  Notre  Dame 
and  Polly,  and  the  fourteen-gun  brig  Fair  Ameri- 
can; the  last  commanded  by  a  certain  master, 
Philip  Wilton.  They  made  officers  of  very  young 
men  in  those  days,  and  mere  boys  often  occupied 
positions  of  trust  and  responsibility  apparently  far 
beyond  their  years,  — even  Seymour  himself,  though 
now  a  commodore  or  flag  officer  by  courtesy,  was 
very  young  for  the  position  ;  and  Governor  Rutledge, 
moved  by  a  warm  friendship  of  long  standing  for  old 
Colonel  Wilton,  and  upon  Seymour's  own  urgent 
recommendation,  had  intrusted  the  smallest  vessel 
to  young  Captain  Philip.  We  shall  see  how  he 
showed  himself  worthy  of  the  trust  reposed  in  him 
in  spite  of  his  tender  years. 

All  of  these  ships  were  converted  merchantmen, 
hastily   fitted  out,  poorly  adapted   for  any   warlike 

248 


A   SAILOR'S   OPINION   OF   THE   LAND 

purpose,  and,  with  the  exception  of  the  Fair  Ameri- 
can, exceedingly  slow  and  unwieldy ;  but  the  heart 
of  the  young  commander  filled  with  pride  as 
he  surveyed  the  little  squadron,  which  followed 
in  his  wake,  looking  handsome  enough  under  full 
sail.  It  was  a  great  trust  and  responsibility  re- 
posed in  his  skill  and  experience;  doubtless  it  was 
the  only  fleet  the  country  had  assembled,  or  could 
assemble,  at  that  time;  the  ships  were  certainly  not 
as  he  would  have  desired  them,  but  they  were  the 
best  that  could  be  got  together;  and  manned  and 
officered  by  devoted  men,  they  could  at  least  fight 
ships  of  their  own  size  when  the  time  came,  and  he 
trusted  to  be  able  to  give  a  good  account  of  the 
enemy,  should  they  be  so  fortunate  as  tn  fall  in  with 
them.  As  for  his  own  vessel,  as  his  practised  and 
critical  eye  surveyed  the  graceful  proportions  of  the 
new  and  well-appointed  ship,  Seymour  felt  entirely 
satisfied  with  her.  He  regarded  with  pleasant  appre- 
ciation the  decks  white  as  constant  holy-stoning 
could  make  them,  the  long  rows  of  grim  black  guns 
thrusting  out  their  formidable  muzzles  on  either 
side,  and  the  lofty  spars  covered  with  clouds  of  new 
and  snowy  canvas.  Everything  was  as  neat  and 
trim,  and  as  ready,  as  ardor,  experience,  and  ability, 
coupled  with  a  generous  expenditure  from  his  own 
purse,  could  make  them.  He  was  satisfied  with  his 
officers  and  crew  too.  Seymour's  reputation,  his 
recent  association  with  Paul  Jones,  the  romantic 
story  of  his  last  successful  cruise,  the  esteem  in 
which  he  was  held  by  Washington,  and  his  own 
charming  personality  had  conspired  to  render  him 
a  great  favorite,  and  he  had  had  the  pick  of  Phila- 

249 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

delphia's  hardy  seamen  and  gallant  officers  ere  he 
sailed  away.  The  three  hundred  and  odd  seamen 
and  marines  who  comprised  the  crew  were  as  fit 
and  capable  a  body  of  men  as  ever  trod  the  deck  of 
a  ship.  Constant  exercise  and  careful  instruction, 
and  drill  and  target  practice,  had  made  them  exceed- 
ingly able  in  all  the  necessary  manoeuvres,  and  in 
the  handling  of  the  guns. 

Forward  on  the  forecastle  old  Bentley  was  planted, 
surrounded  by  such  of  the  older  and  more  experi- 
enced petty  officers  and  men  as  he  permitted  to  asso- 
ciate with  him  on  terms  of  more  or  less  familiarity. 
Not  only  the  position  he  occupied,  that  of  boatswain 
of  the  frigate,  gave  him  a  vast  importance  with  the 
men,  but  his  age  and  experience,  his  long  associa- 
tion with  the  captain,  as  well  as  some  almost  incred- 
ible tales  of  his  familiar  companionship  with  certain 
men  of  awe-inspiring  name  and  great  renown,  with 
various  mighty  feats  of  arms  in  recent  campaigns, 
vaguely  current,  conduced  to  make  him  the  monarch 
of  the  forecastle,  and  the  arbiter  of  the  various  dis- 
cussions and  arguments  among  the  men,  who  rarely 
ventured  to  dispute  the  dictum  of  their  oracle. 

"Well,  here  we  are  pointing  out  again,  thank  the 
Lord !  "  he  said  to  his  particular  friend  and  crony 
among  the  crew,  the  carpenter,  Richard  Spicer,  a 
battered  old  shell-back,  like  himself.  "There  is 
only  one  place  from  which  I  like  to  see  the  land, 
Richard ! " 

"And  where  is  that,  bosun ?  " 

"Over  the  stern,  as  now,  mate,  when  we're  going 
free  with  a  fair  wind,  and  leaving  it  fast  behind.  I 
feel  safer  then.     A  time  since  and  I  felt  as  if  I  never 

250 


A   SAILOR'S   OPINION   OF   THE   LAND 

wanted  to  see  it  again  from  any  place.  To  think  of 
me,  a  decent  God-fearing,  seafaring  man,  at  my  time 
of  life,  turning  soldier !  "  It  is  not  in  the  power  of 
written  language  to  express  the  peculiar  intonation 
of  contempt  which  the  old  man  laid  upon  that 
inoffensive  word,  "soldier."  No  one  venturing  to 
interrupt  him,  after  staring  at  his  particular  aver- 
sion for  a  few  moments,  he  went  on  more  mildly, 
and  in  a  reflective  tone,  — 

"  Not  but  what  I  have  seen  some  decent  soldiers 
—  a  few.  There  was  old  Blodgett,  and  young  Mr. 
Talbot,  ay,  and  General  Washington  too!  Now 
there  's  a  man  for  you,  ship-mates.  Lord,  what  a 
sailorman  he  would  have  made !  They  tell  me  he 
had  a  midshipman's  warrant  offered  him  when  he 
was  a  lad  once,  and  actually  refused  it  —  refused  it ! 
preferred  to  be  a  soldier,  and  what  a  chance  he  lost ! 
Might  have  been  an  admiral  by  now ! " 

"  I  've  heard  tell  as  how  't  was  his  mother  that  pre- 
vented him  from  goin'  to  sea  —  when  he  was  ready 
an'  willin'  an'  waitin'  to  get  aboard,"  returned  one 
of  the  men. 

"  May  be,  may  be.  The  result 's  the  same.  You 
never  can  tell  what  women,  and  'specially  mothers, 
will  do.  They  're  necessary,  of  course,  leastways 
it 's  generally  believed  we  all  had  'em,  though  I  re- 
member none  myself,  nor  Captain  Seymour  neither, 
and  he  's  a  pretty  good  sort  of  a  man  —  let  alone 
me — but  they  've  no  place  aboard  ship.  Now  look 
what  this  one  did,  —  spoiled  a  man  that  had  the 
makin's  of  a  first-class  sailor  in  him,  and  turned 
him  into  a  soldier !  " 

"  But  where  would  we  be  in  this  country  of  ours 
251 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

now,  bosun,  if  it  were  not  for  the  soldiers?  No, 
no,  don't  be  too  hard  on  this  man.  Captain  Washing- 
ton; he's  done  his  duty,  and  is  doing  it  very  well, 
too,  so  I  'm  told,  accordin'  to  your  own  account, 
matey,"  replied  the  old  carpenter;  "and  soldiers 
is  good  too  —  in  their  places,  that  is,  of  course,"  he 
went  on  deprecatingly.  "There  are  two  kinds  of 
men,  as  I  take  it,  William,  to  do  the  fightin'  in  this 
world,  sailormen  and  soldiermen ;  each  has  a  place,  a 
station  to  fill,  and  something  to  do,  and  one  can't  do 
t'  other's  work.  Look  at  that  there  blasted  marine, 
aft  there  in  the  gangway,  for  instance;  he  's  a  good 
man,  I  make  no  manner  o'  doubt,  and  he  has  got  his 
place  on  this  barkey,  even  if  he  is  only  a  kind  of  a 
soldier  and  no  sailorman  at  all." 

"Now  I  asks  you,  Chips,  what  particular  good 
are  soldiers,  anyway,  leaving  marines  out  of  the 
question,  for  they  do  live  on  ships,"  said  the  old 
sailorman.  "What  can  they  do  that  we  can't. ^ 
They  can  fight,  and  fight  hard  —  I  've  seen  'em,  but 
so  can  we,"  he  continued,  extending  his  brawny 
arm;  "and  they  can  march,  too, — I've  seen  their 
bloody  footmarks  in  the  snow;  but  there  were  sailor- 
men  there  that  kept  right  alongside  of  'em  and  did  all 
that  they  could  do.  Oh,  I  forgot  one  thing  —  they 
can  ride  horses,  that  's  one  thing  I  could  never  learn 
at  all!  You  'd  ought  to  seen  me  on  one  of  the  land- 
lubberly  brutes.  A  horse  has  no  place  on  shipboard, 
no  more  than  a  woman,  and  I  've  no  use  for  either  of 
'em.  But  if  this  country  would  spend  all  its  money 
buying  ships,  and  man  'em  with  real  first-class 
sailormen,  why,  d'ye  see.  King  George's  men  could 
never  land  on  our  shores  at  all.     We  'd  keep  'em  off, 

252 


A   SAILOR'S    OPINION    OF   THE   LAND 

and  then  there 'd  be  no  use  for  the  soldiers;  they 
could  all  go  a-farming.  No,  give  me  ships  every 
time,  they  always  win.  I  know  what  I  am  talking 
about;  I  have  been  on  the  shore  for  a  month  at  a 
time  until  I  thought  I  would  turn  into  mud  itself. 
No,  't  is  not  even  a  fit  place  to  be  buried  in;  '  earth 
to  earth  '  won't  do  for  me  when  I  die;  I  just  want 
to  be  dropped  overboard  —  there. " 

"There  is  one  time  ships  didn't  win,"  said  the 
carpenter,  persisting  in  the  argument,  and  pointing 
aft  to  the  low  mounds  of  sand  backed  by  the  rudely 
interlaced  palmetto  logs,  behind  which  the  gallant 
Moultrie  had  fought  Parker's  fleet  six  months  before, 
until  the  ships  had  been  driven  off  in  defeat. 

"Those  were  British  ships,  man,"  said  the  old 
sailor,  with  contempt.  "  I  meant  Americans,  of 
course;  it  makes  all  the  difference  in  the  world. 
But  as  for  land  —  I  hate  it.  It 's  only  good  to  grow 
vegetables,  and  soft  tack,  and  fresh  water,  and  tar, 
and  timber,  and  breed  children  to  make  sailormen 
out  of  —  why,  it  's  a  sort  of  a  cook's  galley,  a  kitchen 
they  call  it  there,  for  the  sea  at  best !  Give  me  the 
sight  of  blue  water,  and  let  me  have  the  solid  feel  of 
the  deck  beneath  my  feet ;  no  unsteady  earth  for  me ! " 

"Well,  that's  my  own  opinion,  too,  bo.  But, 
after  all,  that's  all  that  ships  is  good  for,  anyway; 
just  to  sail  from  land  to  land  and  take  people  and 
things  from  place  to  place.  The  sea 's  between 
like." 

"You  look  at  it  the  wrong  way,  mate.  Certain 
of  us  men  have  sense  enough  to  live  on  the  sea,  and 
keep  away  from  land,  except  for  water  and  provision. 
We  go  from  sea  to  sea,  and  land  's  between." 

253 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  And  what  would  you  do  for  a  country  if  we  had 
no  land?  You're  always  talking  about  lovin'  your 
country,  bosun." 

"Ay,  that  I  do,"  said  the  old  man.  "I  look  upon 
a  country,  that  is  a  land  country,  as  a  kind  of  neces- 
sary evil.  My  country  's  this  ship,  and  yon  flag, 
what  it  means  and  stands  for.  It  means  liberty, 
free  waters,  no  interference  with  peaceful  traders  on 
the  high  seas,  following  their  rightful  pursuits,  by 
British  ships-of-war.  Every  man  that  has  ever  been 
aboard  of  one  of  those  floating  hells  knows  what 
liberty  is  not,  well  enough.  No  taxing  of  us  by  a 
Parliament  on  t'  other  side  of  the  world,  neither. 
No  king  but  the  captain.  Freedom !  So  free  that 
the  lubberliest  landsman  on  shore  has  a  right  to 
govern  himself — if  he  can  —  subject  to  discipline 
and  the  commands  of  his  superior  officer,  of  course ; 
and,  besides,  it  's  like  a  man's  wife;  if  he  's  got  to 
have  one,  he  may  beat  her  and  abuse  her,  perhaps, 
but  nobody  else  shall.  No!  Land  's  a  pretty  poor 
sort  of  a  thing  in  general,  but  that  aft  there  is  the 
best  there  is  going,  and  it 's  our  own.  We  '11  die 
for  it,  yes,  for  love  of  it,  if  it  comes  to  that,  even  if 
we  do  hate  it,  on  general  principles  mind,  you 
understand." 

There  was  evidently  a  trace  of  Irish  blood  in  the 
old  sailor,  it  would  seem,  and  so  saying,  with  a  wave 
of  his  hand,  which  brushed  aside  further  argument, 
he  turned  abruptly  on  his  heel  and  walked  aft.  In 
spite  of  all  his  words,  which  only  reflected  the  usual 
opinion  of  sailors,  in  those  days  at  least,  he  yielded 
to  no  man  in  patriotism  and  devotion  to  the  cause 
of  liberty  and  the  land  that  gave  him  birth.     And 

254 


A   SAILOR'S   OPINION   OF   THE   LAND 

no  man  in  all  Washington's  army  had  done  better 
service,  marched  more  cheerfully,  or  fought  harder 
than  this  veteran  seaman.  The  men  on  the  fore- 
castle generally  agreed  with  him  in  his  propositions, 
but  the  obstinate  old  carpenter,  with  the  charac- 
teristic tenacity  of  the  ancient  tar,  maintained  the 
discussion  forward,  until  the  sharp  voice  of  the 
officer  of  the  deck  sent  all  hands  to  the  braces. 
The  ship  was  brought  to  the  wind  on  the  starboard 
tack,  a  manoeuvre  which  was  followed  in  succession 
by  the  other  vessels  of  the  squadron,  which  had  been 
previously  directed  to  keep,  though  still  within  sig- 
nal, at  long  distances  from  each  other  during  the 
day,  closing  up  at  night,  in  order  to  spread  a  broad 
clew  and  give  greater  chance  of  meeting  the  enemy. 

The  young  captain  paced  the  quarter-deck  alone 
—  no  man  is  ever  so  much  alone  among  his  fellows 
as  the  commander  of  a  ship  —  a  prey  to  his  own  sad 
thoughts.  Those  who  had  known  him  the  gayest  of 
gay  young  sailors  in  Philadelphia  were  at  a  loss  to 
account  for  the  change  which  had  come  over  him. 
He  had  become  the  gravest  of  the  grave,  his  cheery 
laugh  was  heard  no  more,  and  the  baffled  young 
belles  of  Charleston  had  voted  him  a  confirmed 
woman-hater;  though  his  melancholy,  handsome 
face,  graceful  person,  distinguished  bearing,  and 
high  station  might  have  enabled  him  to  pick  and 
choose  where  he  would.  But  there  was  room  in  his 
heart  for  no  more  passions.  Even  his  love  of  coun- 
try and  liberty  had  degenerated  into  a  slow,  cold 
hate  for  the  British,  and  a  desperate  resolve  to  do  his 
duty,  and  make  his  animosity  tell  when  he  struck. 
A  dangerous  man  under  whom  to  sail,  gentleman 

255 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

of  the  Randolph,  and  a  dangerous  man  to  meet,  as 
well.  He  could  not  forget  Kate,  and,  except  in  the 
distraction  of  a  combat,  life  was  a  mere  mechanical 
routine  for  him.  But  because  he  had  been  well 
trained  he  went  through  it  well  —  biding  his  time. 


256 


CHAPTER  XXXI 
Seymour's  Desperate  Resolution 

SIX  rather  uneventful  days  passed  by,  during 
which  prizes  to  the  number  of  five  fell  to  the 
lot  of  the  squadron,  one  loaded  with  military  stores, 
and  another  with  provisions  of  great  value.  The 
lively  little  Fair  American,  being  far  to  windward  of 
the  fleet,  had  also  a  smart  action  with  a  heavily 
armed  British  privateer,  which  struck  her  flag  before 
the  others  could  get  within  range,  and  was  found  to 
be  loaded  with  valuable  portable  goods,  the  siftings 
of  a  long  and  successful  cruise.  Young  Wilton  had 
manoeuvred  and  fought  his  ship  well,  and  had  been 
publicly  complimented  in  general  orders  by  Seymour 
for  skill  and  gallantry.  The  fleet  had  been  exercised 
in  signals  and  in  various  simple  evolutions,  the 
weather  was  most  pleasant,  the  men  in  excellent 
spirits,  and  all  that  was  necessary  to  complete  their 
happiness  was  the  appearance  of  the  looked-for 
squadron  of  the  enemy.  The  eager  lookouts  swept 
the  seas  unweariedly,  but  in  vain,  until  early  in  the 
afternoon  of  the  sixth  day,  the  fleet  being  in  Lon- 
gitude 58°  18'  West,  Latitude  14°  30'  North,  about 
forty  leagues  east  of  Martinique,  heading  due  west 
on  the  starboard  tack,  it  was  reported  to  Seymour, 
who  was  reading  in  the  cabin,  that  the  Fair  Ameri- 
can, again  far  in  the  lead  and  somewhat  to  windward, 
17  257 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

had  signalled  a  large  sail  ahead.  A  short  time  should 
make  her  visible,  if  the  vessels  continued  on  the  pres- 
ent course,  and,  after  having  called  his  fleet  about 
him  by  signal,  Seymour  stood  on  for  a  nearer  look  at 
the  stranger.  An  hour  later  she  was  visible  from  the 
deck  of  the  Randolph,  a  very  large  ship,  evidently 
a  man-of-war  under  easy  sail.  The  careful  watchers 
could  count  three  tiers  of  guns  through  the  glass, 
which  proclaimed  her  a  ship  of  the  line.  From  her 
motions,  and  the  way  she  rose  before  them,  she  was 
evidently  a  very  speedy  ship,  capable  of  outsailing 
every  vessel  of  Seymour's  little  fleet  without  diffi- 
culty, except  possibly  the  brig  Fair  American.  It 
would  be  madness  for  the  squadron  of  converted  and 
lightly  armed  merchantmen  to  attack  a  heavy  ship  of 
that  class,  —  all  who  got  near  enough  to  do  so  would 
probably  be  sunk  or  captured ;  yet  the  approaching 
vessel  must  be  delayed  or  checked,  or  the  result 
would  be  equally  serious  to  the  fleet.  Seymour  at 
once  formed  a  desperate  resolution.  Signalling  to  the 
four  State  cruisers  and  the  six  prizes  to  tack  to  the 
northeast,  escape  if  possible,  and  afterward  make 
the  best  of  their  way  back  to  Charleston,  he  him- 
self stood  on  with  the  little  Randolph  to  engage  the 
mighty  stranger.  At  first  the  older  seamen  could 
scarce  believe  their  eyes.  Was  it  possible  that  Cap- 
tain Seymour,  in  a  small  thirty-two-gun  frigate,  was 
about  to  engage  deliberately  and  wilfully  in  a  combat 
with  a  ship  of  the  line,  a  seventy-four !  —  the  differ- 
ence in  the  number  of  guns  giving  no  indication  of 
the  difference  in  the  offensive  qualities  of  the  two 
ships,  which  might  better  be  shown  by  a  ratio  of  four 
or  five  to  one  in  favor  of  the  ship  of  the  line.     It  was 

258 


SEYMOUR'S   DESPERATE   RESOLUTION 

like  matching  a  bull  terrier  against  a  mastiff.  The 
men  half  suspected  some  wily  mancEuvre  which  they 
could  not  divine ;  but  as  the  moments  fled  away  and 
they  saw  the  rest  of  the  fleet  and  the  prizes  slipping 
rapidly  away  to  the  northeast,  the  Fair  American 
lagging  unaccountably  behind  the  rest  of  the  fleet, 
while  they  still  held  their  even  course,  they  began  to 
comprehend  that  they  were  to  fight  to  save  the  fleet, 
and  Seymour  meant  to  sacrifice  them  deliberately,  if 
necessary,  in  the  hope  of  so  crippling  the  enemy  that 
his  other  little  cruisers,  and  the  prizes,  might  escape. 
They  were  not  daunted,  however  —  your  true  Jack  is 
a  reckless  fellow  —  by  the  daring  and  desperate 
nature  of  the  plan ;  quite  the  contrary ! 

In  a  few  moments  the  familiar  tones  of  Bentley's 
powerful  voice,  seconded  by  the  cheery  calls  of  his 
mates,  rang  through  the  frigate,  — 

"  All  hands  clear  ship  for  action  —  Ahoy !  " 

The  piercing  whistling  of  the  pipes  which  followed 
was  soon  drowned  by  the  steady  and  stirring  roll  of 
the  drums,  accompanied  by  the  shrill  notes  of  the 
fifes,  beating  to  quarters.  The  old  call,  which  has 
been  the  prelude  to  every  action  on  the  sea,  ushering 
in  with  the  same  dreadful  note  of  preparation  every 
naval  conflict  for  twice  two  hundred  years,  went  roll- 
ing along  the  decks.  At  the  first  tap  of  the  drum  the 
men  sprang,  with  the  eagerness  of  unleashed  hounds 
before  the  quarry,  to  their  several  stations. 

In  an  instant  the  orderly  ship  was  a  babel  of  appar- 
ently hopeless  confusion ;  the  men  running  hastily  to 
and  fro  about  their  various  duties,  the  sharp  com- 
mands of  the  officers,  the  shrill  piping  of  the  whistles, 
and  the  deep  voices  of  the  gun   captains   and   the 

259 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

boatswain's  mates,  made  the  usually  quiet  deck  a 
pandemonium.  Some  of  the  seamen  stowed  the 
hammocks  on  the  rail  to  serve  as  a  guard  against 
shot  and  splinters,  others  triced  up  stout  netting  fore 
and  aft,  as  a  protection  against  boarders.  The  light 
and  agile  sail-trimmers  rove  extra  slings  on  the 
yards,  and  put  stoppers  on  the  more  important  rig- 
ging, and  tightened  and  strengthened  the  boats' 
gripes.  The  cabin  bulkheads  were  unceremoniously 
knocked  down  and  stowed  away,  giving  a  clean  sweep 
fore  and  aft  the  decks.  The  pumps  were  rigged  and 
tried,  and  hose  led  along  the  deck.  Arm  chests  were 
broken  out  and  opened,  and  cutlasses  and  pistols  dis- 
tributed, and  the  racks  filled  with  boarding-pikes. 
Division  tubs  filled  with  water  were  placed  beside  the 
guns,  and  the  decks  sanded  lest  they  should  grow 
slippery  with  blood.  The  magazine,  surrounded  by 
a  wetted  woollen  screen  to  prevent  fire,  was  opened, 
and  grape  and  solid  shot  broken  out  and  piled  in  the 
racks  about  the  hatchways  near  the  guns,  the  heavy 
sea  lashings  of  which  were  cast  loose  by  the  different 
crews,  after  which  they  were  loaded  and  run  out  and 
temporarily  secured,  the  slow  matches  having  been 
carefully  examined  and  lighted.  The  oldest  quarter- 
masters took  their  places  near  the  helm,  and  others, 
assisted  by  a  small  body  of  men,  manned  the  reliev- 
ing tackles  below,  to  be  used  in  case,  as  frequently 
happened,  the  wheel  should  be  shot  away.  The  offi- 
cers, many  of  whom  put  on  boarding  caps  of  light 
steel  with  dropped  cheek  pieces,  and  covered  with 
fur,  fastened  on  their  arms,  looked  to  the  priming  of 
their  pistols,  and  then  hastened  to  their  various 
stations. 

260 


SEYMOUR'S   DESPERATE   RESOLUTION 

Most  of  the  watch  officers,  under  the  direction  of 
the  first  lieutenant  or  executive  officer,  were  to  take 
charge  of  the  different  gun  divisions  in  the  batteries ; 
though  one  of  them  remained  aft  near  the  captain, 
to  look  after  the  spars  and  rigging,  command  the 
sail-trimmers,  and  see  that  any  order  of  the  captain 
touching  the  moving  of  the  ship  was  promptly  carried 
out.  The  surgeon  and  his  mates  went  below  into  the 
gloomy  cockpit,  spreading  out  the  foreboding  array 
of  ghastly  instruments  and  appliances,  ready  for  the 
many  demands  certain  to  be  made  upon  them.  Some 
of  the  ubiquitous  midshipmen  commanded  little 
groups  of  expert  riflemen  in  the  tops,  which  were 
well  provided  with  hand  grenades ;  others  assisted 
the  division  lieutenants ;  and  several  were  detailed  as 
aids  to  the  commanding  officer.  The  little  company 
of  marines,  under  its  own  officers,  was  drawn  up 
on  the  quarter-deck  to  keep  down  the  fire  of  the 
enemy's  small-arm  men,  and  be  ready  to  repel 
boarders,  or  head  an  attack,  if  the  ships  should  come 
in  contact.  In  that  case  grapnels,  strong  iron  hooks 
securely  fastened  to  the  ends  of  stout  ropes  or  slen- 
der iron  chains,  were  provided  at  convenient  inter- 
vals along  the  bulwarks,  ready  for  catching  and  lash- 
ing the  two  ships  together. 

The  men,  their  other  duties  performed,  gradually 
settled  down  at  the  guns,  or  about  the  masts,  or  in 
the  tops,  in  their  several  stations,  many  of  them 
naked  to  the  waist,  and  their  deep  voices  could  be 
heard  answering  to  their  names  as  they  were  mus- 
tered by  the  officers.  In  an  incredibly  short  time 
the  whole  was  done,  and  the  impressive  quiet  was 
broken  only  by  the  excited  voice  of  the  first  lieu- 

261 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

tenant,  Nason  —  a  young  officer,  and  this  his  first 
serious  battle  —  reporting  to  the  gloomy  captain  that 
the  ship  was  clear  and  ready  for  action. 

Seymour  had  of  course  taken  personal  charge  of 
the  deck  himself.  Oh,  he  thought,  after  scanning 
closely  the  approaching  ship  with  great  care,  if  he 
had  only  a  ship  of  the  line  under  his  command, 
instead  of  this  Httle  frigate,  how  gladly  would  he 
have  entered  the  coming  conflict !  Or  if  his  own 
small  vessel  had  been,  instead,  one  of  those  heavy 
frigates  which  afterward  did  so  much  to  uphold  the 
glory  of  American  arms,  and  exhibit  the  skill  and 
audacity  of  American  seamen,  in  their  subsequent 
conflict  with  Great  Britain,  he  might  have  had  a 
better  chance ;  but  none  realized  more  entirely  than 
he  did  himself  the  utter  hopelessness  of  the  undertak- 
ing which  was  before  him.  At  the  same  time  he  was 
determined  to  carry  it  through,  seeing,  as  few  others 
could,  the  absolute  necessity  for  the  sacrifice,  if  he 
were  to  effect  the  escape  of  his  fleet.  Calling  the 
men  aft,  he  spoke  briefly  to  them,  pointing  out  the 
necessity  for  the  conflict,  and  the  nobility  of  this 
sacrifice.  He  entreated  them,  in  a  few  brave,  manly, 
thrilling  words,  to  stand  by  him  to  the  last,  for  the 
love  of  their  country  and  the  honor  of  their  flag. 
As  for  him,  he  declared  it  to  be  his  fixed  purpose 
never  to  give  up  the  ship,  but  to  sink  alongside 
rather,  trusting  before  that  happened,  however,  so  to 
damage  his  mighty  antagonist  as  to  compel  her  to 
relinquish  the  pursuit.  The  men,  filled  with  the 
desire  for  battle,  and  inspired  by  his  heroic  words, 
were  nerved  up  to  the  point  where  they  would 
cheerfully  have  attacked  not  one  line-of-battle  ship 

262 


SEYMOUR'S   DESPERATE   RESOLUTION 

but  a  whole  fleet !  They  answered  him  with  frantic 
cheers,  swearing  and  vowing  that  they  would  stand 
by  him  to  the  bitter  end ;  and  then,  everything  hav- 
ing been  done  that  could  be  done,  in  perfect  silence 
the  taut  frigate  boldly  approached  her  massive 
enemy. 


263 


CHAPTER   XXXII 
The  Prisoners  on  the  Yarmouth 

IT  is  usually  not  difficult  for  an  individual  to  define 
the  conditions  of  happiness.  If  I  only  had  so 
and  so,  or  if  I  only  were  so  and  so,  and  the  thing  is 
done.  Each  successive  state,  however,  suggests  one 
more  happy,  and  each  gratified  wish  leads  to  another 
desire  more  imperative.  Miss  Katharine  Wilton, 
however,  did  not  confine  her  conditions  to  units. 
There  were  in  her  case  three  requisites  for  happi- 
ness, —  perfect  happiness,  —  and  could  they  have  been 
satisfied,  in  all  probability  she  would  have  come  as 
near  to  the  wished-for  state  as  poor  humanity  on  this 
earth  ever  does  come  to  that  beatific  condition.  She 
certainly  thought  so,  and  with  characteristic  boldness 
had  not  refrained  from  communicating  her  thoughts 
to  her  father. 

The  astonishing  feature  of  the  situation  was  that 
he  was  inclined  to  agree  with  her.  There  was  noth- 
ing astonishing  in  itself  in  his  agreement  with  her, 
for  he  usually  did  agree  with  her,  but  in  that  her  con- 
ditions were  really  his  own.  For  it  is  rare,  blessedly 
so,  that  two  people  feel  that  they  require  the  same 
thing  to  complete  the  joy  of  life,  and  when  they 
parallel  on  three  points  't  is  most  remarkable.  Even 
two  lovers  require  each  other  —  very  different  things, 
I  am  sure.     Stop !     I  am  not  so  sure  about  the  third 

264 


THE   PRISONERS   ON  THE  YARMOUTH 

proviso  with  the  colonel.  I  say  the  third,  because 
Miss  Wilton  put  it  number  three,  though  perhaps  it 
was  like  a  woman's  postscript,  which  somehow  sug- 
gests the  paraphrase  of  a  familiar  bit  of  Scripture,  — 
the  last,  not  will  be,  but  should  be,  first ! 

Here  are  the  requisites.  One:  The  flag  floating 
gracefully  from  the  peak  of  the  spanker  gaff  above 
them,  in  the  light  air  of  the  sunny  afternoon,  should 
be  the  stars  and  stripes,  instead  of  the  red  cross  of 
St.  George  !  Two :  The  prow  of  the  ship  should  be 
turned  to  the  wooded  shores  of  Virginia,  and  the  Old 
Dominion  should  be  her  destination  instead  of  the 
chalk  cliffs  of  England  !  Three :  that  a  certain  hand- 
some, fair,  blue-eyed,  gallant  sailor,  who  answered  to 
the  name  of  John  Seymour,  should  be  by  her  side 
instead  of  another,  even  though  that  other  were  one 
who  had  once  saved  her  life,  and  to  whose  care  and 
kindness  and  forethought  she  was  much  indebted. 
Her  present  attendant  was  certainly  a  gentleman; 
and  to  an  unprejudiced  eye — which  hers  certainly 
was  not  —  quite  as  handsome  and  distinguished  and 
gallant  as  was  his  favored  rival,  and  boasting  one 
advantage  over  the  other  in  that  he  bore  a  titled 
name  —  not  such  a  desideratum  among  American 
girls  at  that  time,  however,  as  it  was  afterwards  des- 
tined to  become ;  and  in  a  girl  of  the  stamp  of  Miss 
Katharine  Wilton,  possibly  no  advantage  at  all. 

But,  could  the  heart  of  that  fair  damsel  be  known, 
all  talk  of  advantage  or  disadvantage,  or  this  or  that 
compensating  factor,  was  absolutely  idle !  She  was 
not  a  girl  who  did  things  by  halves ;  and  the  feeling 
which  had  prompted  her  to  give  herself  to  the  young 
sailor,  though  of  sudden  origin,  had  grown  and  grown 

265 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

during  the  days  of  absence  and  confinement,  till,  in 
depth  and  intensity,  it  matched  his  own.  She  was 
not  now  so  sure  that,  among  the  other  objects  of  her 
adoration,  he  would  have  to  take  the  second  place ; 
that,  in  case  of  division,  her  heart  would  lead  her  to 
think  first  of  her  country.  Insensibly  had  his  image 
supplanted  every  other,  and  with  all  the  passionate 
devotion  of  her  generous  southern  nature  she  loved 
him. 

Lord  Desborough  had  ample  opportunity  for  ascer- 
taining this  fact.  He  had  seen  her  risk  her  life  for 
Seymour's  own.  He  could  never  forget  the  glorious 
picture  she  made  standing  across  the  prostrate  form 
of  that  young  man,  pistol  in  hand,  keeping  the  mob 
at  bay,  never  wavering,  never  faltering,  clear-eyed, 
supreme.  He  would  be  almost  willing  to  die  to  have 
her  do  the  like  for  him.  He  could  still  hear  the 
echo  of  that  bitter  cry,  —  "  Seymour !  Seymour !  "  — 
which  rang  through  the  house  when  they  had  dragged 
her  away.  These  things  were  not  pleasant  reminis- 
cences, but,  like  most  other  unpleasant  memories, 
they  would  not  down.  In  spite  of  all  this,  however, 
he  had  allowed  himself — nay,  his  permission  he 
vowed  had  not  been  asked  —  to  fall  violently  in  love 
with  this  little  colonial  maiden,  and  a  country  maiden 
at  that!  Not  being  psychologically  inclined,  he  had 
never  attempted  to  analyze  her  charm  or  to  explain 
his  sensations.  Realizing  the  fact,  and  being  young 
and  therefore  hopeful,  he  had  not  allowed  himself  to 
despair.  Really,  he  had  some  claims  upon  her. 
Had  he  not  interfered,  she  would  have  been  murdered 
that  night  in  the  dining-room.  He  had  earned  the 
gratitude  then  and  there  of  her  father,  and  of  herself 

266 


THE   PRISONERS   ON   THE   YARMOUTH 

as  well;  and  he  had  earned  more  of  it  too  \vhcn  he 
had  shot  dead  a  certain  brutal  marauding  blackguard 
by  the  name  of  Johnson,  at  the  first  convenient 
opportunity,  having  received  incidentally,  in  return 
for  his  message  of  death,  a  bullet  in  his  own  breast 
to  remind  him  that  there  are  always  two  persons  and 
two  chances  in  a  duel.  A  part  of  the  debt  of  the 
Wiltons  had  been  paid  by  the  assiduous  and  solici- 
tous care  with  which  they  —  Katharine  chiefly,  of 
course — had  nursed  him  through  the  long  and  dan- 
gerous illness  consequent  upon  his  wound.  It  was 
his  interest  which  had  prevented  further  ill  treatment 
of  them  by  the  brutal  and  tyrannous  Dunmore,  and, 
had  Katharine  so  elected,  would  have  secured  her 
freedom.  She  had,  however,  to  Desborough's  great 
delight,  chosen  to  accompany  her  father  to  England, 
where  he  was  to  be  sent  as  a  prisoner  of  high  politi- 
cal consequence. 

After  waiting  many  weary  days  at  the  camp  of 
the  fugitive  and  deposed  governor  at  Gwynn's  Island, 
they  had  been  separated  from  Desborough,  and  un- 
ceremoniously hustled  on  board  the  frigate  Rad- 
nor, which  was  under  orders  for  England,  They 
had  stopped  long  enough  at  Norfolk  to  witness 
Dunmore's  savage  and  vindictive  action  in  bombard- 
ing and  burning  that  helpless  town ;  and  from  that 
point  Katharine  had  been  enabled  to  send  her  letter 
to  Seymour,  through  a  friendly  American  spy,  just 
before  taking  departure  for  their  long  voyage  across 
the  seas.  The  orders  of  the  Radnor  had  been 
changed  at  the  last  moment,  however,  and  she  had 
been  directed  to  go  in  pursuit  of  Jones  and  the 
Ranger,  which  it  was  currently  reported  had  got  to 

267 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

sea  from  the  Delaware  Bay,  bound  for  Canada  and 
the  Newfoundland  coast.  No  vessel  being  ready  for 
England  at  that  time,  the  two  prisoners  had  been 
transferred,  fortunately  for  them,  to  a  small  ship 
bound  to  the  naval  station  at  Barbadoes ;  and  thence, 
after  another  weary  dreary  wait,  had  been  sent  on 
board  his  Britannic  majesty's  ship  Yarmouth,  Captain 
John  Vincent,  bound  home  for  England.  The  first 
lieutenant  of  this  ship  happened  to  be  a  certain  Pat- 
rick Michael  Philip  O'Neal  Drummond,  Lord  Des- 
borough,  son  and  heir  to  the  Earl  of  Desmond  !  He 
congratulated  himself  most  heartily  upon  his  good 
fortune. 

Providence  had,  then,  thrown  a  lover  again  at  Kath- 
arine's feet.  Not  that  there  was  anything  unusual  in 
that.  She  might  not  regard  it  in  a  providential  light, 
however ;  but  he,  at  least  did  so,  and  he  had  intended 
to  improve  the  shining  hours  of  what  would  be  a 
long  cruise,  in  the  close  association  permitted  by  the 
confined  limits  of  the  ship,  to  make  a  final  desperate 
effort  to  win  the  heart  which  had  hitherto  so  entirely 
eluded  him  that  he  could  not  flatter  himself  that  he 
had  made  the  least  impression  upon  it.  His  success 
during  the  first  three  or  four  days  of  the  cruise  had 
not  been  brilliant.  She  had  been  unaffectedly  glad  to 
see  him  apparently,  and  gentle  and  kind  in  her  re- 
ception, —  too  kind,  he  thought,  with  the  circumspec- 
tion of  a  lover,  —  but  that  was  all.  To  add  to  his 
trials,  he  soon  found  himself  not  without  rivals 
nearer  at  home  than  Seymour.  Judging  by  present 
results,  Washington,  if  he  had  a  few  regiments  of 
Katharines,  could  carry  consternation  to  the  whole 
British    army !     For    the    captors    had,    apparently, 

268 


THE   PRISONERS   ON  THE   YARMOUTH 

taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  captured,  and  the 
whole  ship's  company,  from  that  gruff  old  sailor 
Captain  Vincent  down  through  all  the  other  officers 
to  the  impudent  and  important  little  midshipman, 
were  her  devoted  slaves.  Even  Jack  forward,  usually 
entirely  unresponsive  to  the  doings  aft  on  the  quarter- 
deck, put  on  an  extra  flourish  or  so,  and  damning  his 
eyes,  after  the  manner  of  the  unsophisticated  sailor- 
man,  gazed  appreciatively  upon  her  beauty,  envying 
those  fortunate  mortals  privileged  to  radiate  about 
her  person.  Vincent  might  be  the  captain,  but 
Katharine  was  certainly  the  queen  of  the  ship.  Colo- 
nel Wilton,  too,  shone,  not  altogether  by  reflected 
lustre  either;  and  the  considerate  officers  had  done 
everything  possible  to  make  him  forget  that  he  was 
a  prisoner. 

Early  one  afternoon  in  the  beginning  of  February, 
the  Yarmouth,  being  under  all  plain  sail  with  the 
wind  two  or  three  points  abaft  the  beam,  was  bowl- 
ing along  under  a  fresh  breeze  about  a  day's  sail 
east  of  Martinique.  The  weather  was  perfect,  and 
because  of  the  low  latitude,  in  spite  of  the  winter 
season,  there  was  no  touch  of  sharpness  in  the  air, 
which  was  warm  and  delightful.  All  the  necessary 
drills  and  exercises  having  been  concluded  earlier  in 
the  day,  the  whole  ship's  company  was  enjoying  a 
period  of  unusual  relaxation  and  idleness.  The  men 
at  the  wheel,  the  lookouts  kept  constantly  at  the 
mastheads,  the  marines  doing  sentry  duty,  with  the 
midshipmen  of  the  watch  and  the  officer  of  the  deck 
busily  pacing  to  and  fro,  were  the  only  people,  out 
of  the  six  hundred   and  odd  men  who  made  up  the 

269 


FOR  LOVE  OF   COUNTRY 

ship's  complement,  who  presented  any  appearance 
of  activity  whatever.  The  men  of  the  watch  on 
and  the  watch  off,  dinner  being  over,  were  sitting  or 
lounging  about  in  all  sorts  of  easy  attitudes,  —  some 
of  them  busy  with  their  needles ;  others  overhauling 
their  clothes-bags,  to  which  they  had  been  given 
access  that  afternoon ;  others  grouped  about  some 
more  brilliant  story-teller  than  the  rest,  eagerly  drink- 
ing in  the  multifarious  details  of  some  exciting  personal 
experience,  or  romantic  adventure,  or  never-ending 
story  of  shipwreck  or  battle,  or  mystery  —  techni- 
cally, yarns !  Colonel  Wilton  was  standing  aft  with 
Captain  Vincent  in  the  shadow  of  the  spanker. 
Miss  Wilton,  with  Chloe,  her  black  maid,  behind  her 
chair,  was  sitting  near  the  break  of  the  poop-deck, 
looking  forward,  surrounded  by  several  lieutenants; 
Desborough  being  at  her  right  hand,  of  course,  feel- 
ing and  looking  unusually  gloomy  and  morose.  One 
or  two  of  the  oldest  and  boldest  midshipmen  were 
also  lingering  on  the  outskirts  of  the  group,  as  near 
to  their  divinity  as  they  dared  come  in  the  presence 
of  their  superior  officers.  The  conversation  hap- 
pening to  turn,  as  it  frequently  did,  upon  the  subject 
of  the  present  war  between  England  and  the  colonies 
engaged  in  rebellion  against  the  paternal  power,  was 
unusually  animated. 


270 


CHAPTER   XXXIII 

Two  Proposals 

*'/'~^H,  you  know,  Miss  Wilton,  if  the  colonies  —  " 
V_>/     began  one  of  the  officers,  vehemently. 

"  Pardon  me,  Mr.  Hollins,  that  is  hardly  the  correct 
term.  The  late  colonies  would  be  better,"  inter- 
rupted Katharine,  with  much  spirit. 

"  Oh,  well,  you  know,  I  am  merely  anticipating,  of 
course ;  we  '11  have  them  back  fast  enough,  after 
while.     Now,  if  they  —  " 

**  Pardon  me  again,  sir,  but  that  is  another  conten- 
tion I  can  hardly  admit.  You  '11  never  have  them 
back,  —  never,  never !  " 

"  Oh,  come.  Miss  Wilton,"  said  another,  "  you 
surely  do  not  think  the  colonies  —  oh,  well,  the  late 
colonies,  if  you  will  insist  upon  it  —  can  maintain  a 
fight  with  the  power  of  Great  Britain,  for  any  length 
of  time  !     Why,  madam,  the  English  spirit  —  " 

"  Well,  sir,  what  else  have  we  but  the  English 
spirit?  What  other  blood  runs  in  our  veins,  pray? 
Just  as  you  love  and  prize  your  liberty,  so  too  do  we, 
and  we  will  not  be  dominated  and  ruled  over,  even 
by  our  brothers.  No,  no,  Mr.  Beauchamp,  or  you, 
either,  Mr.  HoUins;  it  is  no  use.  We  are  just  as 
determined  as  you  are ;  and  there  is  but  one  way  to 
win  back  the  colonies,  as  you  call  them,  to  their 
allegiance." 

371 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  And  how  is  that,  pray  ?  " 

"  Why,  by  depopulating  them,  overwhelming  them, 
killing  the  people,  and  wasting  the  land.  Only  a  war 
of  extermination  will  serve  your  purpose." 

"  Well,"  said  Hollins,  doggedly,  "  if  they  must 
have  it,  they  must  —  let  it  be  extermination !  The 
authority  of  the  king  and  the  power  of  Parliament 
must  be  upheld  at  all  hazards." 

"  Ah,  that  is  easy  enough  to  say,"  replied  Katha- 
rine, "  but  three  millions  of  English-speaking  liberty- 
loving  people  are  not  to  be  blotted  out  by  a  wave  of 
the  hand;  they  are  not  so  easily  exterminated,  as 
you  will  find.  Besides,  it  is  easy  to  speak  in  general 
terms ;  but  thousands  and  thousands  are  young  and 
helpless,  or  old  and  feeble,  —  grandsires  or  women  or 
children,  —  how  about  them?  As  long  as  there  is  a 
woman  left  or  a  child,  your  task  is  yet  unfulfilled. 
Make  a  personal  application  of  it;  I  am  one  of 
them.  Do  you  wish  to  exterminate  me,  sir?"  she 
said,  looking  up  at  him  brilliantly,  with  her  glorious 
brown  eyes. 

"  Oh,  you  —  you  are  different,  of  course,"  said  the 
lieutenant,  hesitatingly,  not  liking  to  face  this  in- 
tensely personal  application  of  his  intemperate 
remark. 

"  Not  I !     I  am  just  like  the  rest  —  " 

"  Treason !  I  won't  hear  it,"  said  Desborough, 
softly.     "  There  are  no  others  like  you  on  earth." 

"Just  like  the  rest,"  she  continued  emphatically, 
unheeding  the  interruption,  which  the  others  had 
hardly  caught,  "  and  I  will  tell  you  that  never  again 
will  that  flag  at  the  gaff  there  be  the  flag  of  America. 
You  have  lost  us  for  good." 

272 


TWO  PROPOSALS 

"  Oh,  don't  say  that.  Make  a  personal  exception 
of  yourself  at  least,  Miss  Wilton,  and  give  us  room 
to  hope  a  little." 

"No,  no,"  she  laughed.  "You  have  lost  us  all  — 
me  included." 

There  was  a  chorus  of  expostulation  and  argument 
immediately,  but  Miss  Wilton  was  not  to  be  overborne. 

"  Father !  "  she  called  quickly  to  the  colonel,  who, 
followed  by  the  captain,  at  once  joined  the  little 
group  of  officers.  "  These  gentlemen  seem  to  doubt 
me  when  I  say  their  sometime  colonies  are  gone  for 
good.  Won't  you  help  me  to  state  the  point  so  they 
will  understand  it?" 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  old  colonel,  slowly  and  im- 
pressively, "  the  colonies  were  the  most  loyal  and 
devoted  portion  of  the  king's  dominion  at  one  time. 
I  have  been  up  and  down  the  length  and  breadth  of 
them,  I  know  the  feeling.  I  was  for  years  a  soldier 
of  the  king  myself,  —  with  your  fathers,  young  sirs,  — 
and  I  can  bear  witness  that  no  part  of  the  kingdom 
responded  with  such  alacrity  to  every  legitimate  de- 
mand upon  it  by  the  home  government.  Never  did 
men  so  readily  and  willingly  offer  themselves  and 
their  goods  for  the  service  of  the  king.  But  it  is  all 
changed  now.  The  change  came  slowly,  but  it  came 
inevitably  and  surely,  and  you  could  no  more  change 
the  present  conditions  than  you  could  turn  back  the 
sun  in  its  course.     England  has  lost  her  colonies  —  " 

"  Her  late  colonies,"  corrected  Katharine,  softly. 

"  Yes,  yes,  of  course,  her  late  colonies,  that  is, 
beyond  possibility  of  recovery.  We  will  not  be 
taxed  without  representation." 

"  But  suppose  that  we  gave  you  the  representation 
i8  273 


FOR  LOVE  OF   COUNTRY 

for  which  you  asked,  colonel.  How  then?  Would 
not  there  be  a  general  return  to  allegiance  in  that 
event?"  queried  the  captain. 

"  Sir,"  replied  the  colonel,  proudly,  "  the  child 
who  has  once  learned  to  walk  alone  does  not  after- 
ward go  back  to  creeping  and  crawling,  or  stum- 
bling along  by  the  aid  of  his  mother's  hand.  We 
have  tasted  our  independence,  enjoyed  it,  and  now 
we  mean  to  keep   it." 

"  Splendid,  sir !  splendid,  father !  "  cried  the  de- 
lighted Katharine.  "  There  speaks  the  spirit  of  Run- 
nymede,  and  Naseby,  too,  gentlemen !  " 

"  Hush,  hush,  my  child !  "  chided  the  colonel, 
half  amusedly;  "  it  is  only  the  spirit  of  a  plain  man 
who  has  learned  to  love  liberty  by  studying  the  his- 
tory of  his  ancestry  and  his  people." 

"  Ah,  but,  colonel,  how  are  you  going  to  get  that 
liberty  without  fighting  for  it?"  asked  Beauchamp, 
with  rash  temerity.  "  Howe  and  Cornwallis,  for 
instance,  have  been  pursuing  Washington  for  six 
months,  and  could  never  get  near  enough  to  fire  a 
shot  at  him,  so  they  say." 

"  Fight,  sir,  fight !  "  exclaimed  the  colonel,  in  as- 
tonished wrath;  "  why,  God  bless  me,  sir,  I  am  willing 
to  stand  out  now  and  show  you  how  they  can  fight !  " 

But  Miss  Katharine  sprang  to  her  feet:  "And 
Bunker  Hill,  Mr.  Beauchamp,  and  Long  Island !  " 
she  cried  impetuously. 

Beauchamp  backed  away  precipitately  from  before 
her  in  great  confusion,  which  invoked  much  mocking 
comment  from  the  laughing  officers  round  about  him. 

"  Here  is  one  time  the  English  forces  are  routed 
by  a  rebel !  "  said  Hollins. 

274 


TWO   PROPOSALS 

"Yes,"  added  Desborough,  "  but  then  Beauchamp 
is  no  worse  off  than  the  rest  of  us  would  be,  if  Miss 
Wilton  were  opposed  to  us." 

"  Well,"  continued  another,  coming  to  the  rescue, 
"  we  won  both  of  those  engagements,  you  know. 
Miss  Wilton,  after  all." 

"Won!  Who  said  anything  about  winning,  sir? 
Anybody  can  win,  if  they  have  men  enough  or 
strength  enough  and  money  enough — we  were  talk- 
ing about  fighting,  sir." 

"  But  really,  you  know,"  went  on  Beauchamp,  re- 
covering, and  returning  to  the  charge,  "  Washing- 
ton's army  have  n't  fought  since  those  days  you  speak 
of,  and  they  must  be  wiped  out  of  existence  by  now, 
I  should  suppose." 

"  Not  if  George  Washington  is  still  alive,"  inter- 
rupted the  colonel,  his  anger  at  the  inconsiderate 
officer  having  somewhat  abated.  "  I  know  him  well. 
I  have  known  him  from  a  boy,  — met  him  first  when  I 
used  to  go  shooting  with  Lord  Fairfax  out  at  Green- 
way  Court.  I  knew  his  family ;  his  brother  Lawrence 
too,  I  was  with  him  at  Cartagena,  —  where  I  met  your 
father.  Lord  Desborough,  by  the  way,  —  and  the 
world  does  not  yet  know  the  quality  of  that  man. 
If  he  retreats,  it  is  because  he  absolutely  has  to ; 
and  you  will  see,  he  will  turn  and  strike  Howe  and 
Cornwallis  some  day  such  a  blow  as  will  make  them 
reel.  I  should  not  wonder  if  he  had  done  so  already. 
'T  is  six  long  weeks  since  we  have  heard  any  news 
from  home.  Trust  me,  gentlemen,  the  Americans 
will  fight ;  and  if  there  is  a  God  of  justice,  they  will 
win  too." 

"  I  would  fight  myself,  had  I  but  the  opportunity," 
275 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

said  Katharine,  resolutely.  "  And  there  are  hundreds 
of  other  women  with  the  same  feeling." 

"  Oh,  Miss  Wilton,  you  would  find  no  enemies 
here  to  fight,  We  are  all  captives  of  your  bow  and 
spear  now,  and  crave  your  mercy,"  said  Desbor- 
ough,  meaningly. 

"  True,  Mistress  Katharine.  I  hardly  know  now 
who  commands  this  ship,  you  or  I !  "  said  the  cap- 
tain, smiling  at  her. 

"  Alas,  you  do,  Captain  Vincent ;  were  I  the  com- 
mander, we  would  be  going  that  way,"  she  replied, 
pointing  off  over  the  quarter,  and  gazing  wistfully 
over  the  cool,  sparkling  water,  the  white-capped 
waves  breaking  beautifully  away  in  every  direction. 
"  Oh,  my  poor,  poor  country,  when  shall  I  see  you 
again  ?  "  she  murmured ;   "  when  —  " 

"  Sail  ho !  "  floated  down  from  the  foremast  head 
at  this  moment,  and  the  idle  ship  awoke  again. 

"Where  away?" 

"  Right  ahead,  sir." 

Holmes  and  Beauchamp  walked  forward  to  get  a 
look  at  the  stranger,  and  the  captain  and  the  colonel 
stepped  across  to  the  weather  side  of  the  deck. 
Chloe  was  sent  below  to  procure  a  wrap  for  her  mis- 
tress, and  Katharine  was  left  alone  for  a  few  moments 
with  Desborough.     It  was  his  first  opportunity. 

"  Have  you  no  curiosity  as  to  the  sail  reported, 
Lieutenant  Desborough?" 

"  No,  Mistress  Katharine,  none  whatever.  I  take 
no  interest  in  anything  but  you.  No,  please  don't 
go  now,"  he  went  on  in  humble  entreaty.  "  I  wish  to 
speak  to  you  a  moment.  When  you  came  aboard 
I  hoped  to  see  you  often,  to  be  with  you  alone  — 

276 


TWO   PROPOSALS 

to   win   you  — "     His   voice   sank  to   a   passionate 
whisper. 

"  My  lord,  my  lord !  it  were  best  to  go  no  fur- 
ther," she  interrupted  gravely.  "  'T  is  no  use ;  you 
remember." 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  remember  everything, —  everything 
about  you,  that  is.  I  shut  my  eyes  and  feel  the  soft 
touch  of  your  cool  hand  on  my  fevered  head  again, 
as  when  I  had  that  bullet  in  my  breast.  Oh,  it  thrills 
me,  maddens  me  !  I  'd  be  wounded  so  again,  could  I 
but  feel  those  hands  once  more  —  Listen  to  me,  you 
must  listen  !  It  cannot  hurt  you  to  hear  me,  and  I  am 
sure  one  of  the  others  will  be  back  in  a  moment; 
you  are  never  alone,"  he  said,  detaining  her  almost 
forcibly.  "  I  love  you ;  you  must  know  that  I  do. 
What  is  that  land,  or  any  land,  beside  my  love  ?  You 
are  my  country !  I  can  give  you  lands,  title,  rank, 
luxury —  Be  pitiful  to  me.  Mistress  Katharine.  What 
can  I  do  or  say  or  promise  ?  You  shall  grace  the 
court  of  the  king,  and  be  at  the  same  time  queen  of 
my  heart,"  he  went  on  impetuously,  his  soul  in  his 
eager  whisper.  She  turned  and  walked  over  to  the 
lee  rail,  whither  he  followed  her. 

"  I  'd  rather  be  in  that  land  off  yonder  than  be  the 
king  himself.  I  hate  the  king,  and  I  could  not  love 
the  enemy  of  my  country !  No,  no,"  she  replied, 
"  it  cannot  be  —  it  can  never  be  !  " 

"  Pshaw !  Your  country, —  that 's  not  the  reason ; 
you  love  him  still,"  he  went  on  jealously,  "  that  sailor." 

"  Yes,  *t  is  true ;   I  love  a  sailor  —  you  are  not  he." 

"But  he  is  dead  !  You  left  him  lying  there  on  the 
floor  in  the  hall,  you  remember,  and  since  then  have 
heard  nothing.     He  is  surely  dead." 

277 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  It  is  cruel  of  you  to  say  it,"  she  went  on  relent- 
lessly, "  but  I  shall  love  his  memory  then.  No,  't  is 
useless  —  I  respect  you,  admire  you,  am  grateful  to 
you,  but  my  heart  is  there ! "  and  she  pointed  away 
again. 

"  Won't  you  let  me  try  to  win  you  ?  "  he  persisted. 
"  Don't  say  me  nay  altogether,  give  me  some  hope. 
If  he  be  dead,  let  me  have  a  chance.  Oh,  Katharine 
Wilton,  I  would  give  up  anything  for  —  " 

A  midshipman  touched  him  on  the  arm.  "  Captain 
wants  to  see  first  lieutenant,  sir !  "  he  said  with  a 
wooden,  impassive  face,  saluting  the  while. 

With  a  smothered  expression  of  rage,  Desborough 
sprang  across  the  deck,  —  for  such  a  summons  is  not  to 
be  disregarded  for  an  instant ;  even  love  gives  way  to 
the  captain,  on  shipboard  at  least.  The  little  midship- 
man was  a  great  favorite  with  Katharine,  and,  grate- 
ful for  the  interruption,  she  accordingly  laid  her  hand 
lightly  and  affectionately  on  the  shoulder  of  the  Hon- 
orable Giles  Montagu,  aged  thirteen,  one  of  the  young- 
est and  smallest  middies  in  the  ship ;  but  he  stood  very 
straight  and  rigid,  the  personification  of  dignity,  and 
endeavored  to  look  very  manly  indeed. 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Montagu,"  she  said,  somewhat 
to  his  surprise. 

"  Don't  mention  it,  nothing  at  all,  madam  —  orders ! 
Got  to  obey  orders,  you  know." 

Katharine  laughed.  "You  dear  sweet  child!" 
she  said,  and  suddenly  stooped  and  kissed  him.  The 
Honorable  Giles  turned  pale,  then  flushed  violently 
and  burst  into  unmanly  tears. 

"  Why,  what  is  it  ?  Don't  you  like  to  have  me  kiss 
you?  "  she  said,  amazed. 

278 


TWO   PROPOSALS 

"  It  is  n't  that,  Miss  Wilton.  I  'd  rather  kiss  you 
than  —  than  anything ;  but  you  call  me  a  boy,  and 
treat  me  like  a  child,  and  —  and  I  can't  stand  it. 
I  —  I  've  challenged  all  the  men  in  the  steerage  about 
you  already,"  alluding  to  the  other  little  fellows  of 
like  rank;  "they  call  me  a  baby  there,  too,  because 
I  'm  so  little  and  so  young.  But  I  '11  grow.  And  — 
I  love  you,"  he  went  on  abruptly  and  determinedly, 
choking  down  his  sobs  and  swallowing  his  tears, 
while  fingering  the  handle  of  his  dirk,  and  furtively 
rubbing  his  eyes  with  his  other  hand.  "  Oh,  madam, 
if  you  would  only  wait  until  I  got  a  frigate  !  Won't 
you?  But  no!  You  don't  treat  me  like  a  man,"  he 
exclaimed  bitterly,  stamping  his  foot  and  turning 
away. 

"  Well,  I  never !  "  cried  the  astonished  and  abashed 
Katharine,  completely  overawed  for  the  moment  by 
this  novel  declaration.    "  What  next  ?  " 

Truly,  they  made  men  out  of  boys  early  in  those 
days.  The  next  moment  the  hoarse  cries  of  the  boat- 
swain and  his  mates,  and  the  beating  drums,  called 
all  hands  to  clear  the  ship  for  action  and  startled 
everybody  into  activity  at  once.  The  Honorable 
Giles,  the  manly  if  lachrymose  midshipman,  sprang 
forward  to  his  station  as  rapidly  as  his  small  but 
sturdy  legs  could  carry  him. 


879 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

Captain   Vincent  Mystified 

WHILE  the  big  ship  was  rapidly  and  methodi- 
cally being  stripped  for  the  possible  emer- 
gency, the  captain  was  engaged  in  busy  conversation 
with  the  colonel.  They  had  steadily  drawn  near  the 
reported  sail  until  the  lookouts  could  plainly  make 
out  a  small  fleet  of  small  ships.  Never  dreaming  that 
they  could  be  American  ships,  Captain  Vincent  had 
his  ship  prepared  for  action,  more  through  the  habit- 
ual wariness  of  an  experienced  sailor  than  from  any 
premonition  of  an  impending  battle.  But  as  the 
two  forces  drew  near,  the  actions  of  the  opposing 
fleet  became  suddenly  suspicious ;  all  but  one  of 
them  tacked  ship,  and  stood  off"  to  the  northeast, 
in  a  compact  group  in  close  order,  under  all  possible 
sail,  though  one,  the  smallest  and  a  brig,  it  was  noticed, 
lagged  behind  the  rest  of  the  group  in  a  way  which  be- 
spoke either  very  slow  sailing  qualities  or  deliberate 
purpose  of  delay.  The  remaining  ship,  the  largest  of 
them  all,  stood  boldly  on  its  original  course.  This 
latter,  it  was  plain  to  see,  was  a  small  frigate,  possibly 
a  twenty-eight  or  a  thirty-two.  Taking  into  account 
the  respective  rates  of  speed,  the  frigate,  whose 
course  made  a  slight  angle  with  that  of  the  ship  of 
the  line,  would  probably  cross  the  bows  of  the  latter 
within  range  of  her  battery.     None  of  the  opposing 

280 


CAPTAIN   VINCENT   MYSTIFIED 

vessels  showed  any  flags  as  yet,  and  their  movements 
completely  mystified  Captain  Vincent. 

"  Certainly  a  most  extraordinary  performance  go- 
ing on  there  ! "  he  said,  after  a  long  look  through  his 
glass,  which  he  then  handed  to  the  colonel.  "  They 
show  no  flags,  but  I  cannot  conceive  of  their  being 
anything  but  a  squadron  or  a  convoy  of  ours.  What 
do  you  make  them  out,  Colonel  Wilton  ?  " 

Now,  the  colonel  was  morally  certain  that  they 
were  Americans,  or,  at  least,  that  the  first  and  nearest 
one  was  an  American  ship.  He  had  been  one  of  the 
naval  committee  which  had  taken  charge  of  the 
building  of  the  men-of-war  ordered  by  Congress  in 
'75  ;  he  had  seen  the  Randolph  frequently  on  the  ways 
and  after  she  was  launched,  and  was  entirely  familiar 
with  her  lines.  Perhaps  the  wish  also  was  father  to 
the  thought,  for  the  old  soldier  was  not  sufficiently 
versed  in  nautical  afl"airs  to  detect  at  that  distance 
the  great  disparity  in  force  between  the  two  ships, 
to  which  for  the  moment  he  gave  no  thought,  or 
he  would  not  have  entertained  hopes  for  a  release 
from  confinement  by  recapture, — a  patent  impossi- 
bility to  a  seaman.  So  he  answered  the  captain 
evasively,  returning  the  glass  and  pleading  his  igno- 
rance of  nautical  matters  to  excuse  his  indefinite 
opinion. 

"  It  must  be  the  Carrysford,  with  Hythe's  squad- 
ron ;  she  is  a  thirty-two.  But  why  they  should  act  this 
way,  I  cannot  see.  He  must  know  what  we  are  now, 
as  there  are  no  ships  of  our  size  in  these  waters,  ex- 
cept our  own,  and  why  should  he  send  the  rest  of 
them  off  there  ?  They  are  leaving  us  pretty  fast, 
except  that   brig.     Now,  if  it  were  a  colonial  con- 

281 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

voy,  I  should  say  that  this  frigate  was  going  to 
engage  us  in  the  hope  of  so  crippling  us  as  to  effect 
the  escape  of  the  rest;  but  I  hardly  think  that  your 
men  are  up  to  that  yet." 

"Think  not?"  said  the  colonel  indifferently,  vio- 
lently repressing  an  inclination  to  strike  him.  "  It 
may  be  as  you  say,  Captain  Vincent ;  still,  I  think  we 
are  up  to  almost  anything  that  you  are." 

"Oh,  colonel,"  laughed  the  captain,  good-naturedly, 
"you  are  not  going  to  compare  the  little  colonial 
forces  with  his  majesty's  navy,  are  you !  Now,  I 
am  morally  certain  that  is  a  king's  ship.  See  the 
beautiful  set  of  her  sails,  the  enormous  spread  of  the 
yards ;  notice  how  trim  and  taut  her  rigging  and  run- 
ning gear  stand  out,  and  then,  too,  see  how  smartly 
she  is  handled.  Only  English  ships  are  thus.  Hythe 
is  a  sailor,  every  inch  of  him,"  he  went  on  in  genuine 
admiration  for  the  approaching  vessel.  "  See  !  He 
has  the  weather  gauge  of  us  now,  or  will  have.  Not 
that  it  matters  anything.  We  could  afford  to  let  him 
have  it  even  if  he  were  an  enemy ;  but  what  he  means 
by  this  sort  of  performance,  I  don't  understand. 
However,  we  shall  know  in  half  an  hour  at  least." 

"Well,  sir?"  he  said,  turning  toward  Lieutenant 
Desborough,  who  at  that  moment  stepped  on  the 
poop  in  fighting  uniform,  sword  in  hand. 

"  Ship  's  ready  for  action,  sir  !  " 

"Very  good.  Keep  the  people  at  their  quarters, 
and  stand  on  as  we  are.  Ah,  Mr.  Montagu,  will  you 
step  below  and  fetch  me  my  sword  out  of  my  cabin. 
What  do  you  think  of  her,  Desborough?  " 

"  We  think  she  is  an  American,  sir,"  said  Des- 
borough. 

283 


CAPTAIN   VINCENT   MYSTIFIED 

"  Oh,  you  do,  do  you  ?  Well,  I  think  she  is  one  of 
ours.  No  American  would  dare  to  lead  down  on  us 
in  that  way  !  We  can  blow  him  out  of  the  water  with 
a  broadside  or  two,  you  know,  but  we  '11  give  him  a 
hint  all  the  same.  Fire  a  gun  there,  to  leeward,  and 
hoist  our  colors." 

As  the  smoke  rolled  away  along  the  water,  the 
stops  were  broken,  and  there  flew  out  from  each  mast- 
head the  splendid  English  flag.  It  was  answered  soon 
afterward  by  a  small  English  flag  at  the  gaff  of  the 
approaching  ship,  which  apparently  mystified  the 
captain  more  than  ever,  though  it  confirmed  him  in 
his  previous  opinion. 

"  Oh,  father,"  whispered  Katharine,  clinging  to  the 
colonel,  "what  do  you  think  it  is?  See  that  English 
flag!" 

"  Kate,  I  'm  morally  sure  that  it  is  an  American 
ship ;  it  is  just  the  plan  and  size  of  those  ordered  by 
Congress  in  '75.  One  of  those  ships  should  be  in 
commission  by  now.  If  I  am  right,  this  should  be 
the  Randolph.  I  saw  her  a  dozen  times  in  Phila- 
delphia ;  and  if  that 's  not  she,  I  shall  never  pretend  to 
know  a  ship  again." 

"  But  did  you  hear  what  Captain  Vincent  said  ? " 
continued  Katharine ;  "  how  many  guns  would  the 
Randolph  carry } " 

"  About  forty,  and  most  of  them  small  ones  at  best," 
answered  the  colonel,  with  a  sigh. 

The  two  ships  were  much  nearer  now,  and  their 
disparity  in  force  was  apparent  even  to  the  most  un- 
skilful eye. 

"  The  little  ship  can't  fight  this  great  one,  father, 
can  it?" 

283 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  No,  my  dear ;  that  is,  not  with  any  chance  of  suc- 
cess. But  I  fear  —  or  hope,  rather  —  that  they  mean 
to  engage  us,  and  sacrifice  themselves  in  order  not  to 
allow  us  to  capture  the  little  fleet,  probably  prizes, 
off  yonder.  The  man  who  commands  her  is  a  hero, 
certainly." 

"  Just  what  Mr.  Seymour  would  do.  Oh,  if  it  were 
he  !  "  she  exclaimed,  clasping  her  hands,  her  eyes  fill- 
ing with  tears  at  the  possibility. 

"  Well,  it  may  be,  of  course.  He  was  certain  to  be 
posted  captain  soon,  and  'tis  like  him  truly.  But, 
Kate,  the  ships  are  drawing  nearer  every  moment. 
You  must  go  below  in  case  of  action,  my  dear." 

"  Yes,  Miss  Wilton,"  said  Desborough,  who  had  at 
that  moment  approached  them,  looking  very  hand- 
some, having  heard  the  last  words  of  the  colonel ; 
"  we  have  arranged  a  safe  place  for  you  and  your 
maid,  in  the  cable  tiers,  way  below  the  water-line, 
and  out  of  the  way  of  shot,  though  I  hardly  expect 
much  of  it  from  that  fellow.  Will  you  allow  me  to 
conduct  you  there?  Perhaps  you  too,  colonel,  would 
be  safer  if  you  would —  " 

"  Pardon  me,  sir,  unless  force  is  used,  I  shall  remain 
on  deck.  The  idea  of  me,  sir  —  skulking  in  the  hold 
during  an  action  !     Why,  sir,  —  " 

"  And  the  idea  of  me,  either,  doing  the  same  thing !  " 
said  Katharine  defiantly,  in  a  ringing  voice  in  which 
there  was  a  clear  echo  of  her  father's  determination. 

Both  men  looked  at  her  smiling. 

"  Oh,    you    are    different.    Miss    Wilton,"     said 
Desborough. 

"  No  use,  Katharine :  you  must  go,"  added  her 
father. 

284 


CAPTAIN   VINCENT  MYSTIFIED 

"  Oh,  please  !  " 

"  My  daughter  —  " 

"  Oh,  father,  let  me  stay  just  a  little  longer  — 
there  is  no  danger  yet.  Take  Chloe  down,  if  you 
will,  Mr.  Desborough,  and  have  a  place  ready  for 
me.  I  '11  go  down  when  the  battle  begins  —  indeed 
I  will,  father  !  "  she  continued  entreatingly. 

*'  Well,"  said  the  colonel,  uncertainly,  "  let  her  stay 
a  little  longer,  my  lord." 

"  Very  well,  sir,"  replied  Desborough,  bowing  and 
turning  forward. 

"  Here,  you  Jack,  take  this  girl  below  and  stow 
her  away  in  the  cable  tiers  by  the  main  hatch,"  he 
said,  pointing  to  Chloe,  who  was  led  unresistingly 
away,  her  teeth  chattering  with  undefined  but  none 
the  less  overwhelming  terror.  The  colonel  stepped 
forward  beside  Captain  Vincent,  and  Desborough  de- 
scended to  the  main-deck  to  superintend  the  fight- 
ing of  the  batteries,  while  Katharine,  grateful  for  the 
respite,  and  determined  not  to  go  below  at  all, 
stepped  aft  in  the  shelter  of  the  rail,  her  heart 
already  beating  madly,  as  the  two  ships  approached 
each  other  in  silence. 


285 


CHAPTER    XXXV 

Bentley  Says  Good-by 

THE  men  on  the  Randolph  were  in  excellent 
spirits,  and  as  they  drew  nearer  and  nearer 
became  more  and  more  anxious  for  the  fray. 

"  She's  a  big  one,  ain't  she?"  said  one  young  sea- 
man, glancing  over  a  gun  through  a  port-hole  for- 
ward ;  "  but  we  ain't  afraid  of  her,  mates.  We  '11  just 
dance  up  and  slap  her  in  the  face  with  this,  and  then 
turn  around  and  slap  her  with  t'  other  side,"  laying  his 
hand  at  the  time  on  one  of  the  long  eighteens  which 
constituted  the  main  battery  of  the  frigate. 

"  Yes,  and  then  what  will  she  do  to  us  ?  Blow  us 
into  splinters  with  a  broadside,  youngster !  Not  as  I 
particularly  care,  so  we  have  a  chance  to  get  a  few 
good  licks  at  her  with  these  old  barkers,"  said  an 
older  man,  pointing,  like  the  first,  to  a  gun. 

"  That 's  the  talk,  men,"  said  Seymour,  who  was 
making  a  tour  of  inspection  through  the  ship  in  per- 
son, and  who  had  stopped  before  the  gun  and  heard 
the  conversation.  "  Before  she  sinks  us  we  will  give 
it  to  her  hard.     I  can  depend  upon  you,  I  know." 

"  Yes,  yes,  your  honor." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir  —  " 

"We 'sail  right,  sir— " 

"We  's  with  you,  your  honor  —  "  came  in  a  quick, 
strong   chorus  from  the  rough-and-ready   men,  and 

286 


BENTLEY   SAYS   GOOD-BY 

then  some  one  called  for  three  cheers  for  Captain 
Seymour,  and  they  were  given  with  such  a  will  that 
the  oak  decks  echoed  and  re-echoed  again  and  again. 

"  Pass  the  word  to  serve  out  a  tot  of  grog  to  each 
man ;  let  them  splice  the  main-brace  once  more  before 
they  die,"  said  Seymour,  grimly,  amid  a  chorus  of 
approving  murmurs  from  the  sailors,  as  he  walked 
slowly  along  the  lines,  greeting  men  here  and  there 
with  plain,  bluff  words  of  cheer,  which  brought  smiles 
of  pleasure  to  their  stern,  weather-beaten  faces. 

"  Now,  ain't  he  a  beauty?  "  whispered  the  captain 
of  number  two  gun  to  his  second.  "  Blow  me  if 
't  ain't  a  pleasure  to  serve  under  sich  a  officer,  and  to 
die  for  him,  too  !  Here  is  to  a  speedy  fight  and  lots 
of  damage  to  the  Britisher,"  he  cried  loudly,  lifting 
his  pannikin  of  rum  and  water  to  his  lips,  amid  a 
further  chorus  of  approval. 

Old  Bentley  was  standing  on  the  forecastle  forward, 
looking  earnestly  at  the  approaching  ship,  when  Sey- 
mour came  up  to  him.  The  rest  of  the  men,  mind- 
ful of  the  peculiar  relationship  between  the  two, 
instinctively  drew  back  a  little,  leaving  them  alone. 

"  Well,  Bentley,  our  work  is  cut  out  for  us  there." 

"  Ay,  Captain  Seymour.  I  'm  thinking  that  this 
cruise  will  end  right  here  for  this  ship  —  unless  you 
strike,  sir." 

"  Strike  !     Do  you  advise  me  to  do  so,  then?  " 

"  God  forbid  !  Except  it  be  with  shot  and  these," 
said  the  old  man,  lifting  an  enormous  cutlass,  ground 
to  a  razor  edge,  which  he  had  specially  made  for  his 
own  personal  use  in  battle.  "  No,  no ;  we  've  got  to 
fight  him  till  he  's  so  damaged  that  he  can't  get  at  the 
rest.     Do  you    see,  sir,  how   the  brig   lags  behind 

287 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

them  ?  "  he  went  on,  pointing  out  toward  the  slowly 
escaping  squadron.  "  The  boy  's  got  her  luffed  up  so 
she  makes  no  headway  at  all ! " 

"  I  know  it.  I  have  signalled  to  him  twice  to  close 
with  the  rest  —  he  can  sail  two  feet  to  their  one ;  but 
it  is  no  use,  —  he  pays  no  attention.  He  should  n't 
have  been  given  so  responsible  a  command  until  he 
learned  to  obey  orders,"  said  Seymour,  frowning. 

"  Let  the  boy  alone,  Master  John ;  he  '11  do  all 
right,"  said  Bentley;  "he's  the  makings  of  a  good 
sailorman  and  a  fine  officer  in  him.  I  've  watched 
him." 

"  Ha !  there  goes  a  shot  from  the  liner,"  cried  Sey- 
mour, as  a  puff  of  smoke  broke  out  from  the  lee  side 
followed  by  the  dull  boom  of  a  cannon  over  the  water, 
and  then  the  flags  rippled  bravely  out  from  the  mast- 
heads. "  Well,  we  did  not  need  that  sort  of  an  in- 
troduction. Aft  there ! "  cried  the  captain,  with  his 
powerful  voice. 

"  Sir." 

"  Show  a  British  flag  at  the  gaff.  That  will  puzzle 
him  for  a  while  longer.  Well,  old  friend,  I  must  go 
aft.  It 's  likely  we  won't  both  of  us  come  out  of 
this  little  affair  alive,  so  good-by,  and  God  bless  you. 
You  've  been  a  good  friend  to  me,  Bentley,  ever  since 
I  was  a  child,  and  I  doubt  I  've  requited  you  ill 
enough,"  he  said,  reaching  forth  his  hand.  The  old 
sailor  shifted  his  cutlass  into  his  left  hand,  took  off 
his  hat,  and  grasped  Seymour's  hand  with  his  own 
mighty  palm. 

"Ay,  ever  since  you  were  a  boy;  and  a  properer 
sailor  and  a  better  officer  don't  walk  the  deck,  if  I  do 
say  it  myself,  as  I  've  had  a  hand  in  the  making  of 

2S8 


BENTLEY   SAYS   GOOD-BY 

you.  But  what  you  say  is  true,  sir  :  we  '11  probably 
most  all  of  us  go  to  Davy  Jones'  locker  this  trip  ;  but 
we  could  n't  go  in  a  better  way,  and  we  won't  go 
alone.  God  Almighty  bless  you,  sir!  I  — "  said 
the  old  seaman,  breaking  off  suddenly  and  looking 
wistfully  at  the  young  man  he  loved,  who,  under- 
standing it  all,  returned  his  gaze,  wrung  his  hand,  and 
then  turned  and  sprang  aft  without  another  word. 

The  ships  were  rapidly  closing,  when  Seymour's 
keen  eye  detected  a  dash  of  color  and  a  bit  of  flutter- 
ing drapery  on  the  poop  of  the  line-of-battle  ship. 
Wondering,  he  examined  it  through  his  glass. 

"  Why  !  't  is  a  woman,"  he  exclaimed.  Something 
familiar  in  the  appearance  made  his  heart  give  a  sud- 
den throb,  but  he  put  away  the  idea  which  came  to 
him  as  preposterous ;  and  then  stepping  forward  to 
the  break  of  the  poop,  he  called  out,  — 

"  My  lads,  there  is  a  woman  on  yon  ship,  on  the 
poop,  way  aft.  We  don't  fight  with  women  ;  have  a 
care,  therefore,  that  none  of  you  take  deliberate  aim  at 
her,  and  spare  that  part  of  the  deck  where  she  stands 
in  the  fight,  if  you  can.     Pass  the  word  along." 

"Well,  I'm  blessed,"  said  one  old  gun  captain, 
sotto  voce,  "  be  they  come  out  against  us  with 
wimmen  !  " 

The  Randolph  had  the  weather-gage  of  the  Yar- 
mouth by  this  time ;  and  Seymour  shifted  his  helm 
slightly,  rounded  in  his  braces  a  little,  and  ran  down 
with  the  wind  a  little  free  and  on  a  line  parallel  to  the 
course  of  his  enemy,  but  going  in  a  different  direc- 
tion. He  lifted  the  glass  again  to  his  eye,  and  looked 
long  and  earnestly  at  the  woman's  figure  half  hidden 
by  the  rail  on  the  ship.  Was  it  —  could  it  be  — 
19  289 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

indeed  she?  Was  fate  bringing  them  into  opposition 
again?  It  was  not  possible.  Trembling  violently,  he 
lifted  the  glass  for  a  further  investigation,  when  an 
officer,  trumpet  in  hand,  sprang  upon,  the  rail  of  the 
Yarmouth  forward  and  hailed. 


290 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

The  Last  of  the  Randolph 

"T)ASS  the  word  quietly,"  said  Seymour,  rapidly, 

JT  to  one  of  his  young  aids,  "  that  when  I  say, 
'  Stand  by  to  back  the  maintopsail,'  the  guns  are 
to  be  fired.  Bid  the  gun  captains  to  train  on  the 
port-holes  of  the  second  tier  of  guns.  Mind,  no  order 
to  fire  will  be  given  except  the  words,  '  Stand  by  to 
back  the  maintopsail.'  The  men  are  to  fire  at  the 
word  '  topsail.'  Do  you  understand?  Tell  the  divi- 
sion officers  to  hold  up  their  hands,  as  a  sign  that 
they  understand,  as  you  pass  along,  so  that  I  can  see 
them.  Lively  now  !  Quartermaster,  stand  by  to  haul 
down  that  flag  and  show  our  colors  at  the  first  shot." 

The  frigate  was  now  rapidly  drawing  near  the  ship 
of  the  line,  until,  at  the  moment  the  officer  hailed,  the 
two  ships  were  nearly  alongside  of  each  other.  The 
awful  disparity  between  their  sizes  was  now  painfully 
apparent. 

"  Ship  ahoy  !  Ahoy  the  frigate !  "  came  down  a 
second  time  in  long  hollow  tones  through  the  trum- 
pet from  the  officer  balancing  himself  on  the  Yar- 
mouth's rail  by  holding  on  to  a  back-stay.  "  Why 
don't  you  answer }  " 

"  Ahoy  the  ship  !  "  replied  Seymour  at  last  through 
his  own  trumpet.     "  What  ship  is  that  .■•  " 

291 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  His  Britannic  majesty's  ship  of  the  line,  Yar- 
mouth, Captain  Vincent.  Who  are  you?  Answer, 
or  I  will  fire  !  " 

The  flying  boom  of  the  Randolph  was  just  point- 
ing past  the  Yarmouth's  quarter,  and  the  two  ships 
were  abreast  each  other ;  now,  if  ever,  was  the  time 
for  action. 

"This  is  the  American  Continental  ship,  Ran- 
dolph, Captain  Seymour,"  cried  the  latter,  through 
the  trumpet,  in  a  voice  heard  in  every  part  of  the 
ship  of  the  line. 

At  least  two  hearts  in  the  Yarmouth  were  power- 
fully affected  by  that  announcement.  Katharine's 
leaped  within  her  bosom  at  the  sound  of  her  lov- 
er's voice,  and  beat  madly  while  she  revelled  in 
thought  in  his  proximity;  and  then  as  she  noticed 
again  the  fearful  odds  with  which  he  was  apparently 
about  to  contend,  her  heart  sank  into  the  depths 
once  more.  In  one  second  she  thrilled  with  pride, 
quivered  with  love,  trembled  with  despair.  He  was 
there  —  he  was  hers  —  he  would  be  killed  !  She 
gripped  the  rail  hard  and  clenched  her  teeth  to  keep 
from  screaming  aloud  his  name,  while  her  gaze 
strained  out  upon  his  handsome  figure.  Pride,  love, 
death,  —  an  epitome  of  human  life  in  that  fleeting 
moment, —  all  were  hers  ! 

On  the  main-deck  of  the  frigate  the  name  carried 
consternation  to  Lieutenant  Lord  Desborough,  So 
Seymour  was  alive  again !  Was  that  the  end  of  my 
lord's  chance?  No.  Joy!  The  rebel  was  under 
the  guns  of  the  battle-ship !  Never,  vowed  the  lieu- 
tenant, should  guns  be  better  served  than  those  under 
his  command.     Unless  the  man  surrendered,  he  was 

292 


THE   LAST  OF   THE   RANDOLPH 

doomed.  So,  he  spoke  eagerly  to  his  men,  bidding 
them  take  good  aim  and  waste  no  shot,  never  doubt- 
ing the  inevitable  issue.  These  thoughts  took  but  a 
moment,  however.  Beauchamp,  who  had  done  the 
talking,  now  stepped  aft  to  Captain  Vincent's  side, 
and  replied  to  Seymour's  hail  by  calling  out,  — 

"  Do  you  strike,  sir?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  of  course ;  that 's  what  we  came  down 
here  for.  We'll  strike  fast  enough,"  was  the  an- 
swer. 

A  broad  smile  lighted  up  Captain  Vincent's  face; 
he  turned  to  the  colonel,  laughing,  and  said  with  a 
scarcely  veiled  sneer,  — 

"  I  told  you  they  were  not  up  to  it.  The  cad  !  he 
might  have  fired  one  shot  at  least  for  the  honor  of 
his  flag,  don't  you  see?  " 

The  colonel  with  a  sinking  heart  could  not  see  at 
all.  Cowardice  in  Seymour,  in  any  officer,  was  a 
thing  he  could  not  understand.  The  world  turned 
black  before  Katharine,  What!  strike  without  a 
blow !  Was  this  her  hero  ?  Rather  death  than  a 
coward !  In  spite  of  her  faith  in  her  lover,  as  she 
heard  what  appeared  to  be  a  pusillanimous  offer  of 
surrender,  Desborough's  chances  took  a  sudden 
bound  upward,  while  that  gentleman  cursed  the  cow- 
ardice of  his  enemy  and  rival,  which  would  deprive 
him  of  a  pleasing  opportunity  of  blowing  him  out  of 
the  water.  Most  of  the  men  at  the  different  guns 
relaxed  their  eager  watchfulness,  while  sneers  and 
jeers  at  the  "  Yankee  "  went  up  on  all  sides. 

"  Heave  to,  then,"  continued  Beauchamp,  peremp- 
torily and  with  much  disgust,  "  and  send  a  boat 
aboard !  " 

293 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir !  " 

Oh,  it  was  true,  then;  he  was  going  to  surrender 
tamely  without  — 

"  Stand  by  !  "  there  was  a  note  of  preparation 
in  the  words  in  spite  of  Seymour's  effort  to  give 
them  the  ordinary  intonation  of  a  commonplace 
order,  —  a  note  which  had  so  much  meaning  to 
Katharine's  sensitive  ear  that  her  heart  stopped  its 
beating  for  a  moment  as  she  waited  for  the  next 
word.  It  came  with  a  roar  of  defiance.  "  Back  the 
maintopsail !  "  But  the  braces  were  kept  fast  and 
the  unexpected  happened.  In  an  instant  sheets  of 
flame  shot  out  from  the  muzzles  of  the  black  guns 
of  the  Randolph,  which  were  immediately  wreathed 
and  shrouded  in  clouds  of  smoke.  At  the  moment 
of  command  Seymour  had  quickly  ordered  the 
helm  shifted  suddenly,  and  the  Randolph  had  swung 
round  so  that  she  lay  at  a  broad  angle  off  the  quar- 
ter of  the  Yarmouth.  The  thunderous  roar  of  the 
heavy  guns  at  short  range  was  immediately  followed 
by  the  crashing  of  timber,  as  the  heavy  shot  took 
deadly  effect,  amid  the  cheers  and  yells  and  curses 
and  groans  and  shrieks  of  the  wounded  and  startled 
men  on  the  liner,  while  three  hearty  cheers  rang  out 
from  the  Randolph. 

The  advantage  of  the  first  blow  in  the  grim  game, 
the  unequal  combat,  was  with  the  little  one. 

"  How  now,  captain  !  "  shouted  the  colonel,  in 
high  exultation.  "Won't  fight,  eh!  What  do  you 
call  this.?" 

"Fire!  fire!  Let  him  have  it,  men,  and  be 
damned  to  you!  The  man  's  a  hero;  't  was  cleverly 
done,"  roared  the   captain,    excitedly.     "I   retract. 

294 


THE   LAST   OF   THE   RANDOLPH 

Give   it   to  him,   boys!     Give  it  to   the   impudent 
rebel!"  he  roared. 

Katharine,  forgot  by  every  one  in  the  breath- 
less excitement  of  the  past  few  moments,  bowed  her 
head  on  her  hands  on  the  rail,  and  breathed  a  prayer 
of  thankfulness,  oblivious  of  everything  but  that  her 
lover  had  proved  himself  worthy  the  devotion  her 
heart  so  ungrudgingly  extended  him.  There  was 
great  confusion  on  board  the  Yarmouth  from  this 
sudden  and  unexpected  discharge,  which,  delivered 
at  short  range,  had  done  no  little  execution  on  the 
crowded  ship;  but  the  officers  rallied  their  men 
speedily  with  cool  words  of  encouragement. 

"  Steady,  men,  steady. " 

"  Give  it  back  to  them. " 

"  Look  sharp  now. " 

"Aim!     Fire!" 

And  the  forty-odd  heavy  guns  roared  out  in  answer 
to  the  determined  attack.  The  effect  of  such  a- 
broadside  at  close  range  would  have  been  frightful, 
had  not  the  Randolph  drawn  so  far  ahead,  and  her 
course  been  so  changed,  that  a  large  part  of  it 
passed  harmlessly  astern  of  her.  One  gun,  how- 
ever, found  its  target,  and  that  was  one  aimed  and 
fired  by  the  hand  of  Lord  Desborough  himself:  a 
heavy  shot,  a  thirty-two,  from  one  of  the  mas- 
sive lower-deck  guns  of  the  Yarmouth,  which  the 
pleasant  weather  permitted  them  to  use  effectively, 
came  through  one  of  the  after  gun-ports  of  the 
Randolph,  and  swept  away  the  line  of  men  on  the 
port  side  of  the  gun.  Some  of  the  other  shot  did 
slight  damage  also  among  the  spars  and  gear,  and 
several   of    the   crew   were   killed   or   wounded    in 

295 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

different  parts  of  the  ship;  but  the  Randolph  was 
practically  unharmed,  and  standing  boldly  down  to 
cross  the  stern  of  the  Yarmouth  to  rake  her. 
But  the  English  captain  was  a  seaman,  every  inch 
of  him,  and  his  ship  could  not  have  been  better 
handled;  divining  his  bold  little  antagonist's  pur- 
pose, the  Yarmouth's  helm  was  put  up  at  once, 
and  in  the  smoke  she  fell  off  and  came  before  the 
wind  almost  as  rapidly  as  did  the  Randolph,  her 
promptness  frustrating  the  endeavor,  as  Seymour 
was  only  able  to  make  an  ineffectual  effort  to  rake 
her,  as  she  flew  round  on  her  heels.  The  starboard 
battery  of  the  Yarmouth  had  been  manned  as  she 
fell  off,  and  the  port  battery  of  the  Randolph  was 
rapidly  reloaded  again.  The  manoeuvre  had  given 
the  Englishmen  the  weather-gage  once  more,  the 
two  ships  now  having  the  wind  on  the  port  quarter. 
The  two  batteries  were  discharged  simultaneously, 
and  now  began  a  running  fight  of  near  an  hour's 
duration. 

Seymour  was  everywhere.  Up  and  down  the  deck 
he  walked,  helping  and  sustaining  his  men,  build- 
ing up  new  gun's  crews  out  of  the  shattered  remains 
of  decimated  groups  of  men,  lending  a  hand  himself 
on  a  tackle  on  occasion;  cool,  calm,  unwearied, \ 
unremitting,  determined,  he  desperately  fought  his 
ship  as  few  vessels  were  ever  fought  before  or  since, 
imbuing,  by  his  presence  and  example  and  word,  his 
men  with  his  own  unquailing  spirit,  until  they  died 
as  uncomplainingly  and  as  nobly  as  did  those  proto- 
types of  heroes,  —  another  three  hundred  in  the  pass 
at  Thermopylae! 

The    guns   were   served    on   the   Randolph   with 
296 


THE   LAST   OF   THE   RANDOLPH 

the  desperate  rapidity  of  men  who,  awfully  pressed 
for  time,  had  abandoned  hope  and  only  fought  to 
cripple  and  delay  before  they  were  silenced;  those 
on  the  Yarmouth,  on  the  contrary,  were  fired  with 
much  more  deliberation,  and  did  dreadful  execution. 
The  different  guns  were  disabled  on  the  Randolph 
by  heavy  shot ;  adjacent  ports  were  knocked  into  one, 
the  sides  shattered,  boats  smashed,  rails  knocked  to 
pieces,  all  of  the  weather-shrouds  cut,  the  mizzen- 
mast  carried  away  under  the  top,  and  the  wreck  fell 
into  the  sea,  — fortunately,  on  the  lee  side,  the  little 
body  of  men  in  the  top  going  to  a  sudden  death  with 
the  rest.  The  decks  were  slippery  with  blood  and 
ploughed  with  plunging  shot,  which  the  superior 
height  of  the  Yarmouth  permitted  to  be  fired  with 
depressed  guns  from  an  elevation.  Solid  shot  from 
the  heavy  main-deck  batteries  swept  through  and 
through  the  devoted  frigate;  half  the  Randolph's 
guns  were  useless  because  of  the  lack  of  men  to 
serve  them ;  the  cockpit  overflowed  with  the  wounded ; 
the  surgeon  and  his  mates,  covered  with  blood, 
worked  like  butchers,  in  the  steerage  and  finally 
in  the  ward  room ;  dead  and  dying  men  lay  where 
they  fell ;  there  were  no  hands  to  spare  to  take  them 
below,  no  place  in  which  they  could  lie  with  safety, 
no  immunity  from  the  searching  hail  which  drove 
through  every  part  of  the  doomed  ship.  Still  the 
men,  cheered  and  encouraged  by  their  officers,  stood 
to  their  guns  and  fought  on.  Presently  the  foretop- 
mast  went  by  the  board  also,  as  the  long  moments 
dragged  along.  Seymour  was  now  lying  on  the 
quarter-deck,  a  bullet  having  broken  his  leg,  another 
having  made  a  flesh-wound  in  his  arm;  he  had  re- 

297 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

fused  to  go  below  to  have  his  wounds  dressed,  and 
one  of  the  midshipmen  was  kneeling  by  his  side, 
applying  such  unskilful  bandages  as  he  might  to  the 
two  bleeding  wounds.  Nason  had  been  sent  for, 
and  was  in  charge,  under  Seymour's  direction. 
That  young  man,  all  his  nervousness  gone,  was 
most  ably  seconding  his  dauntless  captain. 

The  two  ships  were  covered  with  smoke.  It  was 
impossible  to  tell  on  one  what  was  happening  on 
the  other;  but  the  steady  persistence  with  which 
the  Randolph  clung  to  her  big  enemy  had  its 
effect  on  the  Yarmouth  also,  and  the  well-delivered 
fire  did  not  allow  that  vessel  any  immunity.  In 
fact,  while  nothing  like  that  on  the  frigate,  the 
damage  was  so  great,  and  so  many  men  had  fallen, 
that  Captain  Vincent  determined  to  end  the  conflict 
at  once  by  boarding  the  frigate.  The  necessary 
orders  were  given,  and  a  strong  party  of  boarders 
was  called  away  and  mustered  on  the  forecastle, 
headed  by  Beauchampand  Hollins;  among  the  num- 
ber were  little  Montagu,  with  other  midshipmen. 
Taking  advantage  of  the  smoke  and  of  the  weather- 
gage,  the  Yarmouth  was  suddenly  headed  for  the 
Randolph.  As  the  enormous  bows  of  the  line-of- 
battle  ship  came  slowly  shoving  out  of  the  smoke, 
towering  above  them,  covered  with  men,  cutlass  or 
boarding  pike  in  hand,  Seymour  discerned  at  once 
the  purpose  of  the  manoeuvre.  Raising  himself 
upon   his  elbow  to  better  direct  the  movement,  — 

"All  hands  repel  boarders!  "  he  shouted,  his  voice 
echoing  through  the  ship  as  powerfully  as  ever. 

This  was  an  unusual  command,  as  it  completely 
deprived  the   guns  of  their  crews;  but  he  rightly 

298 


THE   LAST  OF   THE   RANDOLPH 

judged  that  it  would  take  all  the  men  they  could 
muster  to  repel  the  coming  attack,  and  none  but  the 
main-deck  guns  of  the  Yarmouth  would  or  could 
be  fired,  for  fear  of  hitting  their  own  men  in  the 
miUe  on  the  deck.  The  Randolph  was  a  wreck 
below,  at  best;  but  while  anything  held  together 
above  her  plank  shears,  she  would  be  fought.  The 
men  had  reached  that  desperate  condition  when  they 
ceased  to  think  of  odds,  and  like  maddened  beasts 
fought  and  raved  and  swore  in  the  frenzy  of  the 
combat.  The  thrice-decimated  crew  sprang  aft, 
rallying  in  the  gangway  to  meet  the  shock,  Nason 
at  their  head,  followed  close  by  old  Bentley,  still 
unwounded.  As  the  bow  of  the  Yarmouth  struck 
the  Randolph  with  a  crash,  one  or  two  wounded 
men,  unable  to  take  part  in  repelling  the  boarders 
but  still  able  to  move,  who  had  remained  beside  the 
guns,  exerted  the  remaining  strength  they  possessed 
to  discharge  such  of  the  pieces  as  bore,  in  long 
raking  shots,  through  the  bow  of  the  liner;  it  was 
the  last  sound  from  their  hot  muzzles. 

The  Yarmouth  struck  the  Randolph  just  forward 
of  the  mainmast ;  the  men,  swarming  in  dense  masses 
on  the  rail  and  hanging  over  the  bowsprit  ready  to 
leap,  dropped  on  her  deck  at  once  with  loud  cheers. 
A  sharp  volley  from  the  few  marines  left  on  the 
frigate  checked  them  for  a  moment,  —  nobody  notic- 
ing at  the  time  that  the  Honorable  Giles  had  fallen 
in  a  limp  heap  back  from  the  rail  upon  his  own  deck, 
the  blood  staining  his  curly  head;  but  they  gathered 
themselves  together  at  once,  and,  gallantly  led, 
sprang  aft,  handling  their  pistols  and  pikes  and  wav- 
ing their  cutlasses.     Nason  was  shot  in  a  moment 

299 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

by  Hollins'  pistol,  Beauchamp  was  cut  in  two  by  a 
tremendous  sweep  of  the  arm  of  the  mighty  Bentley, 
and  the  combat  became  at  once  general.  Slowly  but 
surely  the  Americans  were  pressed  back ;  the  gang- 
ways were  cleared ;  the  quarter-deck  was  gained  ;  one 
by  one  the  brave  defenders  had  fallen.  The  battle 
was  about  over  when  Seymour  noticed  a  man  run- 
ning out  in  the  foreyard  of  the  Yarmouth  with  a 
hand-grenade.  He  raised  his  pistol  and  fired ;  the 
man  fell;  but  another  resolutely  started  to  follow 
him. 

Bentley  and  a  few  other  men,  and  one  or  two 
officers  and  a  midshipman,  were  all  who  were  able 
to  bear  arms  now. 

"  Good-by,  Mr.  Seymour,"  cried  Bentley,  waving 
his  hand  and  setting  his  back  against  the  rail  nearest 
to  the  Yarmouth,  which  had  slowly  swung  parallel 
to  the  Randolph  and  had  been  lashed  there.  The 
old  i!iian  was  covered  with  blood  from  two  or  three 
wounds,  but  still  undaunted.  Two  or  three  men 
made  a  rush  at  him ;  but  he  held  them  at  bay,  no 
man  caring  to  come  within  sweep  of  that  mighty  arm 
which  had  already  done  so  much,  when  a  bullet  from 
above  struck  him,  and  he  fell  over  backward  on  the  rail 
mortally  wounded. 

Seymour  raised  his  remaining  pistol  and  fired  it 
at  the  second  man,  who  had  nearly  reached  the  fore- 
yard  arm ;  less  successful  this  time,  he  missed  the 
man,  who  threw  his  grenade  down  the  hatchway. 
Seymour  fainted  from  loss  of  blood. 

"  Back,  men !  back  to  the  ship,  all  you  Yar- 
mouths ! "  cried  Captain  Vincent,  as  he  saw  the 
lighted  grenade,  which  exploded  and  ignited  a  little 

300 


THE   LAST   OF  THE   RANDOLPH 

heap  of  cartridges  left  by  a  dead  powder-boy  before 
the  magazine.  Alas!  there  was  no  one  there  to 
check  or  stop  the  flames.  The  English  sailors  sprang 
back  and  up  the  sides  and  through  the  ports  of  their 
ship  with  frantic  haste;  the  lashings  were  being 
rapidly  cut  by  them,  and  the  braces  handled. 

"  Come  aboard,  men,  while  you  can,"  cried  Captain 
Vincent  to  the  Americans.  "  Your  ship  's  afire ;  you 
can  do  no  more ;  you  '11  blow  up  in  a  moment !  " 

The  little  handful  of  Americans  were  left  alone  on 
their  ship.  The  only  officer  still  standing  lifted  his 
sword  and  shook  it  impotently  at  the  Yarmouth  in 
reply ;  the  rest  did  not  stir.  The  smoke  of  battle  had 
now  settled  away,  and  the  whole  ghastly  scene  was 
revealed.  A  woman's  cry  rang  out  fraught  with 
agony,  —  "  Seymour,  Seymour  !  "  and  again  was  her 
cry  unheeded ;  her  lover  could  not  hear.  She  cried 
again ;  and  then,  with  a  frightful  roar  and  crash,  the 
Randolph  blew  up. 


301 


CHAPTER    XXXVII 

For  Love  of  Country 

THE  force  of  the  explosion  occurring  so  near  to 
the  line-of-battle  ship  drove  her  over  with  irre- 
sistible power  upon  her  beam-ends  until  she  buried 
her  port  main-deck  guns  under  water;  her  time  was 
not  yet  come,  however,  for,  after  a  trembling  move- 
ment of  sickening  uncertainty,  she  righted  herself, 
slowly  at  first,  but  finally  with  a  mighty  roll  and  rush 
as  if  on  a  tidal  wave.  For  a  few  seconds  the  air 
was  filled  with  pieces  of  wreck,  arms,  spars,  bodies, 
many  of  which  fell  on  the  Yarmouth.  The  horrified 
spectators  saw  the  two  broken  halves  of  the  ill-fated 
frigate  gradually  disappearing  beneath  the  heaving 
sea,  sucking  down  in  their  inexorable  vortex  most  of 
the  bodies  of  those,  alive  or  dead,  who  floated  near. 
The  fire  had  come  in  broad  sheets  through  the  port- 
holes of  the  main-deck  guns  of  the  ship  from  the 
explosion,  driving  the  men  from  their  stations,  and, 
by  heating  the  iron  masses  or  igniting  the  priming, 
caused  sudden  and  wild  discharges  to  add  their 
quota  of  confusion  to  the  awful  scene.  Pieces  of 
burning  wreck  had  also  fallen  in  the  tops,  or  upon 
the  sails,  or  lodged  in  the  standing  rigging,  full  of  tar 
as  usual,  and  dry  and  inflammable  to  the  last  degree. 
The  Yarmouth,  therefore,  was  in  serious  danger, — 
more  so  than  in  any  other  period  of  the  action,  —  her 

302 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

little  antagonist  having  inflicted  the  most  damaging 
blow  with  the  last  gasp,  as  it  were ;  for  little  columns 
of  flame  and  smoke  began  to  rise  ominously  in  a 
dozen  places.  Then  was  manifested  the  splendid 
discipline  for  which  British  ships  were  famous  the 
world  over.  Rapidly  and  with  unerring  skill  and 
coolness  the  proper  orders  were  given,  and  the  tired 
men  were  set  to  work  desperately  fighting  once  more 
to  check  and  put  out  the  fire.  Long  and  hard  was 
the  struggle,  the  issue  much  in  doubt ;  but  in  the  end 
the  efforts  of  her  crew  were  crowned  with  merited 
success,  and  their  ship  was  eventually  saved  from  the 
dangerous  conflagration  which  had  menaced  her  with 
ruin,  not  less  complete  and  disastrous  than  had  be- 
fallen the  frigate. 

While  all  this  was  being  done,  a  little  scene  took 
place  upon  the  quarter-deck  which  was  worthy  of 
notice.  Something  heavy  and  solid,  thrown  upward 
by  the  tremendous  force  of  the  discharge,  struck  the 
rail  with  a  mighty  crash  at  the  moment  of  the  explo- 
sion, just  at  the  point  where  Katharine,  wide-eyed, 
petrified  with  horror,  after  that  one  vivid  glance  in 
which  she  apparently  saw  her  lover  dead  on  his  own 
quarter-deck  beneath  her,  stood  clinging  rigidly  to 
the  bulwarks  as  if  paralyzed.  It  was  the  body  of  a 
man ;  instinctively  she  threw  out  her  strong  young 
arm  and  saved  it  from  falling  again  into  the  sea  on 
the  return  roll  of  the  ship.  One  or  two  of  the  sea- 
men standing  by  came  to  her  assistance,  and  the 
body  was  dragged  on  board  and  laid  on  the  deck  at 
her  feet.  Something  familiar  in  the  figure  moved 
Katharine  to  a  further  examination.  She  knelt  down 
and  wiped  the  blood  and  smoke  and  dust  from  the 

303 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

face  of  the  prostrate  man,  and  recognized  him  at 
once.  It  was  old  Bentley,  desperately  wounded,  his 
clothes  soaked  with  blood  from  several  severe  wounds, 
and  apparently  dying  fast,  but  still  breathing.  A 
small  tightly  rolled  up  ball  of  bunting  was  lying  near 
her  on  the  deck;  it  was  a  flag  from  the  Randolph, 
which  had  been  blown  there  by  the  force  of  the  ex- 
plosion. She  quickly  picked  it  up  and  pillowed  the 
head  of  the  unconscious  man  upon  it.  Then  she  ran 
below  to  her  cabin,  coming  back  in  a  moment  with 
water  and  a  cordial,  with  which  she  bathed  the  head 
and  wiped  the  lips  of  the  dying  man.  The  fires  were 
all  forward,  and,  the  wind  being  aft,  the  danger  was 
in  the  fore  part  of  the  ship ;  no  one  therefore  paid  the 
least  attention  to  her.  There  was,  in  fact,  save  the  cap- 
tain and  one  or  two  midshipmen,  no  one  else  on  the 
poop-deck  except  her  father,  who  like  herself  had 
been  overwhelmed  by  the  sudden  and  awful  ending 
of  the  battle.  Being  without  anything  to  do,  the 
colonel,  who  had  been  watching  the  men  fight  with 
the  fire,  happened  to  look  aft  for  a  moment  and  saw 
his  daughter  by  the  side  of  the  prostrate  man.  He 
stepped  over  to  her  at  once. 

"  Katharine,  Katharine,"  he  said  to  her  in  a  tone  of 
stern  reproof  and  surprise,  not  as  he  usually  spoke  to 
her,  "  you  here  !  'T  is  no  place  for  women.  When 
did  you  come  from  below?  " 

"I've  not  been  below  at  all,  father,"  she  replied, 
looking  up  at  him  with  a  white,  stricken  face  which 
troubled  his  loving  heart. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  have  been  on 
deck  during  the  action  ?  " 

"  Yes,  father,  right  here.  Do  you  not  understand 
304 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 
that  it  was  Mr.   Seymour's  ship  —  I   could  not  go 


away 


"  By  heavens !  Think  of  it !  And  I  forgot  you 
completely  —  The  fault  was  mine,  how  could  I  have 
allowed  it?  "  he  continued  in  great  agitation. 

"  Never  mind,  father;  I  could  not  have  gone  below 
in  any  case.  Do  you  think  he  —  Mr.  Seymour  — 
can  be  yet  alive  ?  "  she  asked,  still  cherishing  a  faint 
hope. 

The  colonel  shook  his  head  gloomily,  and  then 
stooping  down  and  looking  at  the  prostrate  form  of 
the  man  on  the  deck,  he  asked,  — 

"  But  who  is  this  you  have  here?" 

The  man  opened  his  eyes  at  this  moment  and 
looked  up  vacantly. 

"  William  Bentley,  sir,"  he  said  in  a  hoarse  whis- 
per, as  if  in  answer  to  the  question ;  and  then  making 
a  vain  effort  to  raise  his  hand  to  his  head,  he  went 
on  half-mechanically,  "  bosun  of  the  Randolph,  sir. 
Come  aboard !  " 

"  Merciful  Powers,  it  is  old  Bentley !  "  cried  the 
colonel.  "Can  anything  be  done  for  you,  my  man? 
How  is  it  with  you?" 

Katharine  poured  a  little  more  of  the  cordial  down 
his  throat,  which  gave  him  a  fictitious  strength  for  a 
moment,  and  he  answered  in  a  little  stronger  voice, 
with  a  glance  of  recognition  and  wonder,  — 

"  The  colonel  and  the  young  miss !  we  thought 
you  dead  in  the  wreck  of  the  Radnor.  He  will  be 
glad ;  "  and  then  after  a  pause  recollection  came  to 
him.     "  Oh,  God  !  "  he  murmured,  "  Mr.  Seymour !  " 

"What  of  him?  Speak!"  cried  Katharine,  in 
agony. 

20  305 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

'*  Gone  with  the  rest,"  he  replied  with  an  effort. 
"  'T  was  a  good  fight,  though.  The  other  ships,  — 
where  are  they?" 

"  Escaped,"  answered  the  colonel ;  "  we  are  too 
much  cut  up  to  pursue." 

"  Why  did  you  do  it  ? "  moaned  Katharine,  think- 
ing of  Seymour's  attack  on  the  ship  of  the  line. 

The  old  man  did  not  heed  the  question ;  his  eyes 
closed.  He  was  still  a  moment,  and  then  he  opened 
his  eyes  again  slowly.  Straight  above  him  waved 
the  standard  of  his  enemy, 

"I  never  thought  —  to  die  —  under  the  English 
flag,"  he  said  slowly  and  with  great  effort.  Supply- 
ing its  place  with  her  own  young  soft  arm,  Katharine 
drew  forth  the  little  American  ensign  which  had 
served  him  for  a  pillow  —  stained  with  his  own  blood 
—  and  held  it  up  before  him.  A  light  came  into  his 
dying  eyes,  —  a  light  of  heaven,  perhaps,  no  pain  in 
his  heart  now.  One  trembling  hand  would  still  do  his 
bidding;  by  a  superhuman  effort  of  his  resolute  will 
he  caught  the  bit  of  bunting  and  carried  it  to  his  lips 
in  a  long  kiss  of  farewell.  His  lips  moved.  He  was 
saying  something.  Katharine  bent  to  listen.  What 
was  it  ?  Ah !  she  heard  ;  they  were  the  words  he  said 
on  the  deck  of  the  transport  when  they  saw  the  ship 
wrecked  in  the  pass  in  the  beating  seas,  —  the  words 
he  had  repeated  in  the  old  farmhouse  on  that  winter 
night  to  the  great  general,  when  he  told  the  story  of 
that  cruise ;  the  words  he  had  made  to  stand  for  the 
great  idea  of  his  own  life ;  the  words  with  which  he 
had  cheered  and  soothed  and  sustained  and  encour- 
aged many  weaker  men  who  had  looked  to  his  iron 
soul  for  help  and  guidance.     They  were  the  words 

306 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

to  which  many  a  patriot  Hke  him,  now  lying  mute 
and  cold  upon  the  hills  about  Boston,  under  the  trees 
at  Long  Island,  by  the  flowing  waters  and  frowning 
cliffs  of  the  Hudson,  on  the  verdant  glacis  at  Quebec, 
'neath  the  smooth  surface  of  Lake  Champlain,  in  the 
dim  northern  woods,  on  the  historic  field  of  Prince- 
ton, or  within  the  still  depths  of  this  mighty  sea  now 
tossing  them  upon  its  bosom,  had  given  most  elo- 
quent expression  and  final  attestation.  What  were 
they? 

"  For  —  for  —  love  —  of  —  country."  The  once 
mighty  voice  died  away  in  a  feeble  whisper ;  a  child 
might  still  the  faintly  beating  heart.  The  mighty 
chest  —  rose  —  fell ;  the  old  man  lay  still.  Love  of 
country,  —  that  was  his  passion,  you  understand. 

Love  of  country !  That  was  the  great  refrain. 
The  wind  roared  the  song  through  the  pines,  on  the 
snow-clad  mountains  in  the  far  north,  sobbed  it  softly 
through  the  rustling  palmetto  branches  in  the  south- 
land, or  breathed  it  in  whispers  over  the  leaves  of  the 
oak  and  elm  and  laurel,  between.  The  waves  crashed 
it  in  tremendous  chorus  on  rock-bound  shores,  or 
rolled  it  with  tender  caress  over  shining  sands. 
Under  its  inspiration,  mighty  men  left  all  and 
marched  forth  to  battle ;  wooed  by  its  subtle  music, 
hero  women  bore  the  long  hours  of  absence  and  sus- 
pense ;  and  in  its  tender  harmonies  the  little  children 
were  rocked  to  sleep.  Ay,  love  of  country !  All 
the  voices  of  man  and  nature  in  a  continent  caught  it 
up  and  breathed  it  forth,  hurled  it  in  mighty  diapason 
far  up  into  God's  heaven.  Love  of  country !  It  was 
indeed  a  mighty  truth.  They  preached  it,  loved  it, 
lived  for  it,  died  for  it,  till  at  last  it  made  them  free ! 

307 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

Philip  Disobeys  Orders 

""XT^HO  is  this,  pray?"  said  Captain  Vincent,  at 
'  »  this  moment  stepping  back  to  the  silent 
little  group. 

"The  boatswain  of  the  Randolph,"  replied  the 
colonel.     "  He  has  just  died." 

"  Poor  fellow  !  but  there  are  many  other  brave  men 
gone  this  day.  What  think  you  was  the  complement 
of  the  frigate,  colonel  ?  " 

"  Over  three  hundred  men  certainly,"  replied  the 
colonel  (the  actual  number  was  three  hundred  and 
fifteen).  "  Most  of  them  not  already  done  for  were 
lost  in  the  explosion,  I  presume?" 

"  Yes,  assuredly ;  and  now  I  owe  you  an  apology, 
my  dear  sir.  I  never  saw  a  more  gallant  action  in 
my  life.  The  man  's  gone,  of  course,  but  he  shall 
have  full  credit  for  it  in  my  report;  'twas  bravely 
done,  and  successfully,  too.  We  are  frightfully  cut 
up,  and  in  no  condition  to  pursue.  In  fact,  I  will 
not  conceal  from  you  that  some  of  our  spars  are  so 
severely  wounded,  and  the  starboard  rigging  so  dam- 
aged and  scorched  and  cut  up,  that  I  know  not  how 
we  could  stand  a  heavy  blow.  Twenty-five  are  killed, 
and  upward  of  sixty  wounded  too,  and  about  thirty 
missing,  killed,  or  wounded  men   of  the   boarding 

308 


PHILIP  DISOBEYS   ORDERS 

party,  who  were  undoubtedly  blown  up  with  the 
frigate.  Beau  champ  is  gone ;  and  that  little  fellow 
there,"  pointing  to  a  couple  of  seamen  bringing  a 
small  limp  body  aft,  "  is  Montagu.  Poor  little 
youngster !  " 

"  This  has  indeed  been  a  frightful  action,  captain," 
replied  the  colonel.  "  I  knew  young  Seymour  well. 
He  was  a  man  of  the  most  consummate  gallantry. 
This  sacrifice  is  like  him,"  he  continued  softly,  look- 
ing at  Katharine  and  then  turning  away.  Perhaps 
the  captain  understood.  At  any  rate  he  stepped  to 
her  side  and  said  gently,  — 

"  Mistress  Katharine,  this  is  no  place  for  you  ;  you 
must  go  below.  Indeed,  I  must  insist.  I  shall  have 
to  order  you.  Come  —  "  and  then  laying  his  hand  on 
her  arm,  he  started  back  in  surprise.  "  Why,  you 
are  wounded !  " 

"  'T  is  nothing,  sir,"  said  Katharine,  faintly.  "  I 
welcome  it;  'twas  an  American  bullet.  Would  it 
had  found  my  heart !  " 

"  Only  a  flesh-wound,  colonel ;  no  cause  for  alarm," 
said  the  captain,  looking  at  it  with  the  eye  of  experi- 
ence. "  It  will  be  all  right  in  a  day  or  two.  But 
now  she  must  go  below.  I  can't  understand  how  you 
were  allowed  to  stay  here,  or  be  here.  What  were 
they  thinking  of?  But  you  saw  one  of  the  hottest 
and  most  desperate  battles  ever  fought  between  two 
ships  since  you  were  here.  They  can  fight;  you 
were  right,  colonel,"  he  went  on  in  ungrudging 
admiration. 

"  Here,  Desborough,"  he  added,  addressing  the 
lieutenant,  who  just  then  put  his  foot  on  the  deck, 
"  take    Miss  Wilton  below,  and   ask  the  surgeon  to 

309 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

attend  her  at  his  convenience ;  she  's  gone  and  got 
herself  wounded  by  her  friends." 

Lieutenant  Desborough,  black  and  grimy,  streaked 
with  smoke  and  powder,  turned  pale  at  the  captain's 
words,  and  sprang  forward  anxiously  and  led  the 
object  of  his  love  down  the  steps  to  her  cabin. 
"  Wounded  !  "  he  murmured.  "  Oh,  my  love,  why 
did  no  one  take  you  to  a  place  of  safety?" 

"  'T  is  nothing,"  she  replied,  going  on  as  if  in  a 
dream. 

Desborough  had  his  wish :  his  rival  was  gone ;  he 
had  the  field  to  himself;  but  he  was  too  manly  to  feel 
any  exultation  now  that  it  was  over,  and  too  sorry 
for  the  vacant  despair  he  saw  on  her  face.  He  ten- 
derly whispered  to  her  as  he  led  her  on,  — 

"  Believe  me,  dear  Katharine,  it  is  not  thus  I 
would  have  triumphed  over  Mr.  Seymour.  He  was 
in  truth  a  knightly  gentleman." 

Overwhelming  pity  for  her  filled  his  heart,  and  he 
went  on  magnanimously,  — 

"  I  am  sorry  —  " 

She  made  no  answer;  she  did  not  hear.  In  the 
cabin  the  body  of  little  Montagu  was  lying  on  a 
table.  He  would  never  get  his  frigate  now.  How 
small  and  frail  and  boyish  looked  the  Honorable 
Giles  to-day!  Why  did  they  send  children  like  that 
to  war.^  Had  he  no  mother.?  —  poor  lad!  Moved 
by  a  sudden  impulse,  she  stooped  and  kissed  him, 
as  she  had  done  an  hour  before.  No  throb  of  the 
proud  little  heart  answered  responsive  to  her  caress 
now.  Alas!  she  might  kiss  him  when  and  as 
she  pleased;  he  would  not  feel  it,  and  he  would 
not   heed.     Entering   her   own   berth    at   last,    she 

310 


PHILIP  DISOBEYS   ORDERS 

closed  the  door  and  sank  down  upon  her  knees,  — 
alone  with  God ! 

"A  sail  coming  down  fast,  — the  little  brig,  sir," 
reported  the  officer  of  the  deck  to  Captain  Vincent. 
"  Shall  we  come  about  and  give  him  a  broadside?  " 

"  No,  no ;  we  dare  not  handle  the  braces  yet,  —  not 
until  the  gear  and  spars  have  been  well  overhauled." 

"Shall  we  use  the  stern-chaser  then,  sir.^  " 

The  Yarmouth  had  left  the  scene  of  the  explo- 
sion some  distance  away  by  this  time,  but  she  was 
still  within  easy  gun-shot.  Captain  Vincent  earnestly 
examined  the  brig;  as  he  looked,  she  came  up  to 
the  wind,  hove  to,  and  dropped  a  boat  in  the  water. 
There  was  a  bit  of  spar  still  floating  there.  The 
captain  saw  that  three  or  four  men  were  clinging 
to  it. 

"No;  she's  on  an  errand  of  mercy.  There  are 
men  in  the  water  on  that  topmast  there.  Let  her 
go  free,"  he  said  generously.  "We  've  done  enough 
to-day  to  satisfy  any  reasonable  man. " 

The  colonel  grasped  his  hand  warmly  and  thanked 
him.  The  little  brig  picked  up  her  boat,  swung 
her  mainyard,  and  filled  away  again  on  the  port  tack, 
in  the  wake  of  the  rest  of  the  little  squadron  now 
far  ahead ;  then,  understanding  the  forbearance  of 
the  big  ship,  she  fired  a  gun  to  leeward  and  dipped 
her  ensign  in  salute. 

The  force  of  the  explosion  had  thrown  Seymour, 
from  his  advantageous  position  aft,  far  out  into  the 
water  and  away  from  the  sinking  ship.  The  con- 
tact with  cold  water  recalled  him  to  his  senses  at 
once;  and  with  the  natural  instinct  of  man  for  life, 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

he  struck  out  as  well  as  he  might,  considering  his 
broken  leg  and  wounded  arm  and  weakened  state. 
There  was  a  piece  of  a  mast  with  the  top  still  on  it 
floating  near  by.  He  struggled  gallantly  to  make  it, 
—  'twas  no  use,  he  could  do  no  more;  closing  his 
eyes,  he  sank  down  in  the  dark  water.  But  help  was 
near:  a  hand  grasped  him  by  his  long  hair  and  drew 
him  up;  one  of  his  men,  unwounded  fortunately, 
had  saved  him.  The  two  men  presently  reached  the 
bit  of  wreck ;  the  sailor  scrambled  up  on  it,  and  by  a 
great  effort  drew  his  captain  by  his  side ;  two  more 
men  swam  over  desperately,  and  finally  joined  the 
little  group.  They  clung  there  helpless,  hopeless, 
despairing,  fascinated,  watching  the  remains  of  the 
Randolph  disappear,  marking  a  few  feeble  swim- 
mers here  and  there  struggling,  till  all  was  still. 
Then  they  turned  their  eyes  upon  their  late  antago- 
nist, running  away  before  the  wind  in  flames ;  they 
saw  her  fight  them  down  successfully;  appalled, 
none  spoke.  Presently  one  of  the  seamen  glanced 
the  other  way,  and  saw  the  little  brig  swiftly  bearing 
down  upon  them. 

"God  be  praised!  Here's  the  brig,  the  Fair 
American, "  he  cried.    "  We  shall  be  saved  —  saved !  " 

The  brig  was  handled  smartly;  she  came  to  the 
wind,  backed  the  maintopsail,  and  lay  gently  toss- 
ing to  and  fro  on  the  long  swells.  The  young  cap- 
tain stood  on  the  rail,  clinging  to  the  back-stays, 
anxiously  watching.  The  boat  was  dropped  into  the 
water,  and  with  long  strokes  shot  over  to  them.  The 
men  sprang  aboard ;  rude  hands  gently  and  tenderly 
lifted  the  wounded  captain  in.  They  pulled  rapidly 
back  to  the  brig;   the  falls  were  manned,  and  the 

312 


PHILIP  DISOBEYS   ORDERS 

boat  was  run  up,  the  yard  swung,  and  she  filled 
away.  Seymour  was  lifted  down;  Philip  received 
him  in  his  arms. 

"I  ought  to  arrest  you  for  disobedience  of  orders," 
said  the  captain,  sternly.  "Why  did  you  pay  no 
attention  to  my  signals.?  You  have  jeoparded  the 
brig.  Yon  ship  can  blow  you  out  of  the  water;  you 
are  quite  within  range." 

But  they  soon  saw  that  no  motion  was  made  by 
the  ship;  and  in  accordance  with  Seymour's  orders 
the  gun  was  fired  and  the  colors  dipped,  — a  salute 
which  the  ship  promptly  returned. 

"I  ought  to  put  you  under  arrest,  Philip,"  again 
said  Seyrhour,  faintly,  while  he  was  lying  in  the 
tiny  cabin,  having  his  wounds  dressed ;  "  but  I  will 
not.  'Twas  gallantly  done;  but  obey  orders  first 
hereafter,  —  't  is  the  first  principle  of  action  on  the 
sea. "  That  was  rather  cool  comfort  for  the  young 
officer,  considering  that  his  somewhat  reckless  action 
had  just  saved  Seymour's  life.  He  made  brief  re- 
ply, however,  and  then  resumed  his  station  on  the 
deck  of  his  little  vessel,  which  was  rapidly  overhaul- 
ing the  rest  of  the  fleet.  As  soon  as  the  night  fell, 
the  wind  permitting,  they  were  by  Seymour's  direc- 
tion headed  for  the  harbor  of  Charleston  once  more. 
Now  that  his  mind  was  free  again,  Seymour's 
thoughts  turned  to  that  woman's  form  of  which  he 
had  one  brief  glimpse  ere  the  line-of -battle  ship  dis- 
appeared in  the  smoke.  Could  it  indeed  have  been 
Katharine  Wilton?  Could  fate  play  him  such  a 
trick  as  to  awaken  once  more  his  sleeping  hope.? 
Through  the  long  night  he  tossed  in  fevered  unrest 
in  his  narrow  berth.     Again  he  went  over  the  awful 

313 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

scenes  of  that  one  hour  of  horror.  The  roar  of  the 
guns,  the  crash  of  splintered  timbers,  the  groans  of 
the  wounded  men,  rang  in  his  fretted  ear.  They 
seemed  to  rise  before  him,  those  gallant  officers  and 
men,  the  hardy,  bold  sailors,  veterans  of  the  sea, 
audacious  youngsters  with  life  long  before  them, 
Bentley,  his  old,  his  faithful  friend,  —  lost  —  all  lost. 
Was  there  reproach  in  their  gaze?  Was  it  worth 
while,  after  all  ?  Ay,  but  duty ;  he  had  always  done 
his  duty  —  duty  always  —  duty  —  Ah,  they  faded 
away,  and  Katharine  looked  down  upon  —  it  was  she 
—  love  —  duty  —  love  —  duty !  Was  that  the  roar 
of  battle  again,  or  only  his  beating  heart?  They 
found  him  in  the  morning,  delirious,  shouting  orders, 
murmuring  words  of  love,  calling  Kate,  —  babbling 
like  a  child. 


3M 


CHAPTER   XXXIX 
Three  Pictures  of  the  Sea 

A  SHORT  time  before  sunset  that  same  evening 
the  Yarmouth  was  hove  to,  and  the  hoarse 
cry  of  the  boatswain  and  his  mates  was  once  more 
heard  through  the  ship,  calling,  — 

"  All  hands  !     Bury  the  dead." 

Skilled  hands  had  been  working  earnestly  all  the 
afternoon  to  repair  the  damage  to  the  vessel ;  much 
had  been  accomplished,  but  much  more  still  re- 
mained to  be  done.  However,  night  was  drawing  on, 
and  it  was  advisable  to  dispose  of  the  dead  bodies  of 
those  who  had  been  killed  in  the  action,  or  who  had 
died  since  of  their  wounds,  without  further  delay. 
Some  of  the  sailmaker's  mates  had  been  busy  during 
the  afternoon,  sewing  up  the  dead  in  new,  clean  ham- 
mocks, and  weighting  each  one  with  heavy  shot  at 
the  feet  to  draw  it  down.  The  bodies  were  laid  in 
orderly  rows  amidships,  forward  of  the  mainmast, 
and  all  was  ready  when  the  word  was  passed.  The 
crew  assembled  in  the  gangways  facing  aft,  the  boat- 
swain, gunner,  carpenter,  sailmaker,  and  other  warrant 
officers  at  their  head.  The  captain,  attended  by 
Colonel  Wilton  and  the  first  lieutenant  in  full  uni- 
form, and  surrounded  by  the  officers  down  to  the 
smallest  midshipman,  stood  facing  the  crew  on  the 

3»S 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

quarter-deck;  back  of  the  officers,  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  deck,  the  marine  guard  was  drawn  up. 
At  the  break  of  the  poop  stood  the  slender,  graceful 
figure  of  a  woman,  alone,  clearly  outlined  against  the 
low  light  of  the  setting  sun,  looking  mournfully  down 
upon  the  picture,  her  heart,  though  filled  with  sadness 
and  sorrow  particularly  her  own,  still  great  enough  to 
feel  sympathy  for  others. 

The  chaplain,  clothed  in  the  white  vestments  of  his 
sacred  office,  presently  came  from  out  the  cabin  be- 
neath the  poop-deck,  and  stopped  opposite  the  gang- 
way between  the  line  of  men  and  officers.  Two  of 
the  boatswain's  mates,  at  a  signal  from  the  first 
lieutenant,  stepped  to  the  row  of  bodies  and  carefully 
lifted  up  the  first  one  and  laid  it  on  a  grating,  cov- 
ering it  at  the  same  time  with  a  flag.  They  next 
lifted  the  grating  and  placed  one  end  of  it  on  the  rail 
overlooking  the  sea,  and  held  the  other  in  their  hands 
and  waited.  The  captain  uncovered,  all  the  other 
officers  and  the  men  following  his  example. 

The  chaplain  began  to  read  from  the  book  in  his 
hand.  The  first  body  on  the  grating  was  a  very  small 
one,  —  only  a  boy,  looking  smaller  in  contrast  to  those 
of  the  men  by  which  it  had  lain.  The  little  figure  of 
the  Honorable  Giles  looked  pathetic  indeed.  Some 
of  the  little  fellow's  messmates  had  hard  work  to 
stifle  their  tears ;  here  and  there  in  the  ranks  of  the 
silent  men  the  back  of  a  hand  would  go  furtively  up 
to  a  wet  eye,  as  the  minister  read  on  and  on. 

How  run  the  words? 

"  Forasmuch  as  it  hath  pleased  Almighty  God,  in 
His  wise  Providence,  to  take  out  of  this  world  the 
soul  of  our  deceased  brother  —  "     Was  it  indeed  Thy 

316 


THREE   PICTURES   OF  THE   SEA 

pleasure,  O  God,  that  this  little  "  brother "  should 
die?  Was  Thy  Providence  summed  up  in  this  little 
silent  figure?     Alas,  who  can  answer? 

And  then  as  the  even  voice  of  the  priest  went  on 
with  the  solemn  and  beautiful  words  which  never 
grow  familiar,  —  "  we  therefore  commit  his  body  to  the 
deep,"  —  the  first  lieutenant  nodded  to  the  watch- 
ing sailors.  They  lifted  the  inboard  end  of  the  grating 
high  in  the  air;  a  fellow  midshipman  standing  by 
pulled  aside  the  covering  flag ;  the  little  body  started, 
moved  slowly,  —  more  rapidly;  there  was  a  flash 
of  light  in  the  air,  a  splash  in  the  water  alongside. 

The  chaplain  motioned  for  another ;  it  was  a  man 
this  time,  —  all  the  rest  were  men ;  four  of  the  seamen 
lifted  him  up.  Again  the  few  short  sentences,  and  the 
sailor  was  launched  upon  another  voyage  of  life. 
Tears  were  streaming  from  eyes  unused  to  weeping, 
tracing  unwonted  courses  down  the  strangely  weather- 
beaten,  wrinkled  cheeks ;  men  mourning  the  loss  of 
shipmate  and  messmate,  friend  and  fellow.  The  last 
one  in  the  row  was  a  gigantic  man  ;  over  his  bosom  was 
laid  a  little  blood-stained  flag  of  different  blazoning : 
there  was  the  blue  field  as  in  the  heavens,  white  stars, 
and  red  and  white  stripes  that  enfolded  him  like  a 
caress.  The  sailors  lifted  him  up  and  waited  a  mo- 
ment, until  the  tall,  stately,  distinguished  figure  of  the 
colonel,  in  his  plain  civilian  dress,  stepped  out  from 
the  group  of  officers  and  stood  beside  the  grating; 
he  put  his  hand  upon  the  flag  of  his  country,  glad  to 
do  this  service  for  a  faithful  if  humble  friend.  It  was 
soon  over ;  with  a  little  heavier  splash  old  Bentley  fell 
into  the  sea  he  had  so  loved,  joining  that  innumerable 
multitude  of  those  who,  having  done  their  duty,  wait 

317 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

for  that  long-deferred  day  when  the  sea  shall  give 
up  her  dead !  The  woman  hid  her  face  within  her 
hands,  the  great  bell  of  the  ship  tolled  solemnly  for- 
ward, the  sun  had  set,  the  men  were  dismissed,  the 
watch  called,  and  the  night  fell  softly,  while  the  ship 
glided  on  in  the  darkness. 

Another  week  had  elapsed.  The  Yarmouth  had 
been  driven  steadily  northward,  and  by  contrary 
winds  prevented  from  making  her  course.  She  was 
in  a  precarious  condition  too ;  a  further  examina- 
tion had  disclosed  that  some  of  her  spars,  especially 
the  mainmast,  had  been  so  severely  and  seriously 
wounded,  even  more  so  than  at  first  reported,  as 
scarcely  to  permit  any  sail  at  all  to  be  set  on  them, 
and  not  fit  in  anyway  to  endure  stress  of  weather. 
The  damages  had  been  made  good,  however,  as  far 
as  possible,  the  rigging  knotted  and  spliced,  the  spars 
fished  and  strengthened  as  well.  The  ship  had  been 
leaking  slightly  all  the  time,  from  injuries  received 
in  the  fight,  in  all  probability ;  but  a  few  hours  at  the 
pumps  daily  had  hitherto  kept  her  free,  and  though 
the  carpenter  had  been  most  assiduous  in  a  search 
for  the  leaks,  and  had  stopped  as  many  as  he  had 
been  able  to  come  at,  some  of  them  could  not  be 
found.  The  weather  had  steadily  changed  for  the 
worse  as  they  had  reached  higher  latitudes,  and  it  was 
now  cold,  rainy,  and  very  threatening.  The  captain 
and  his  officers  were  filled  with  anxiety  and  foreboding. 
Katharine  kept  sedulously  in  her  cabin,  devoured  by 
grief  and  despair;  and  the  once  cheery  colonel,  full 
of  deep  sympathy  for  his  unfortunate  daughter,  went 
about  softly  and  sadly  during  the  long  days. 

3^8 


THREE   PICTURES  OF  THE   SEA 

The  day  broke  gloomily  on  one  certain  unfortunate 
morning ;  they  had  not  seen  the  sun  for  five  days,  nor 
did  they  see  it  then.  No  gladsome  light  flooded  the 
heavens  and  awoke  the  sea  ;  the  sky  was  deeply  over- 
cast with  cold,  dull,  leaden  clouds  that  hung  low  and 
heavy  over  the  mighty  ship ;  a  horror  of  darkness 
enshrouded  the  ocean.  Away  off  on  the  horizon  to 
the  northeast  the  sky  was  black  with  great  masses  of 
frightful-looking  clouds ;  through  the  glass  the  watch- 
ful officers  saw  that  rain  was  falling  in  torrents  from 
them,  while  the  vivid  lightning  played  incessantly 
through  them.  Where  the  ship  was,  it  had  fallen 
suddenly  calm,  and  she  lay  gently  rolling  and  rocking 
in  the  moderate  swell ;  but  they  could  see  the  hurri- 
cane driving  down  upon  them,  coming  at  lightning 
speed,  standing  like  a  solid  wall,  and  flattening  the 
waves  by  sheer  weight.  All  hands  had  been  called 
on  deck  at  once,  at  the  first  glimpse  of  the  coming 
hurricane.  Desborough  had  the  trumpet;  the  alert 
and  eager  topmen  were  sent  aloft  to  strip  the  ship  of 
the  little  canvas  which  the  heavy  weather  and  weak- 
ened spars  had  permitted  them  to  show.  It  was  a 
race  between  them  and  the  coming  storm.  The  men 
worked  desperately,  madly;  some  of  them  had  not 
yet  reached  the  deck  when  the  rain  and  the  wind  were 
upon  them.  By  the  captain's  direction,  the  colonel 
had  brought  Katharine  from  below,  and  she  was  stand- 
ing on  the  quarter-deck  sheltered  by  the  overhang  of 
the  poop  above,  listlessly  watching.  Desborough  had 
made  no  progress  in  his  love-affairs ;  he  had  too  much 
tact  and  delicacy  to  press  his  suit  under  the  present 
untoward  circumstances,  and  indeed  had  been  too  in- 
cessantly occupied  with  the   pressing  exigencies  of 

319 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

the  shattered  ship,  and  the  duties  of  his  responsible 
position  thereon,  to  have  any  time  to  spare  for  more 
than  the  common  courtesies.  The  awful  storm  was 
at  last  upon  them :  a  sudden  change  in  its  direction 
caused  the  first  fierce  blow  to  fall  fairly  upon  the 
starboard  side  of  the  ship ;  it  pressed  her  down  on 
her  beam-ends ;  over  and  over  she  went,  down,  down. 
Would  she  ever  right  again?  Ah,  the  spliced  shrouds 
and  stays  on  the  weather-side,  which  had  been  that  at- 
tacked by  the  Randolph,  finally  gave  way,  the  main- 
mast went  by  the  board  about  halfway  below  the  top, 
the  foremast  at  the  cap,  and  the  mizzentopmast,  too ; 
relieved  of  this  enormous  mass  of  heavy  top  ham- 
per, the  ship  slowly  righted  herself.  The  immense 
mass  of  wreckage  beat  and  thundered  against  the 
port  side ;  it  was  a  fearful  situation,  but  all  was  not  yet 
lost.  Gallantly  led  by  Desborough  himself,  who  saw 
in  one  sweeping  glance  that  Katharine  was  still  safe, 
the  men,  with  axes  and  knives,  hacked  through  the  rig- 
ging which  held  the  wreck  of  the  giant  spars  to  the 
ship,  and  after  a  few  moments  of  sickening  suspense 
she  drifted  clear ;  a  bit  of  storm  canvas  was  spread  for- 
ward on  the  wreck  of  the  foremast,  and  the  ship  got 
before  the  wind  and  drove  on,  laboring  and  pitching 
in  the  heavy  sea.  The  decks  were  cleared ;  and  indeed 
there  was  little  left  to  clear,  the  waves  having  broken 
over  her  several  times  when  she  lay  in  the  trough 
of  the  sea,  sweeping  everything  out  with  them,  and 
the  vessel  was  a  total  wreck,  —  the  spars  gone,  rails 
and  bulwarks  battered  in  and  smashed,  boats  lost, 
the  battle  having  destroyed  these  on  the  starboard 
side,  and  the  wreck  and  the  sea  the  others.  Stop ! 
there  was  one  boat  left  amidships,  a  launch  capable 

320 


THREE   PICTURES   OF  THE   SEA 

of  holding  about  forty  persons  in  a  pinch,  and  sti)J 
seaworthy;  it  was,  by  the  captain's  order,  promptly 
made  as  serviceable  as  possible  in  view  of  the  prob- 
able emergency. 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  carpenter 
came  aft  with  the  sounding-rod  of  the  well  in  his 
hand.  The  strain  had  been  too  much  for  her;  some  of 
the  weakened  timbers  had  given  way,  or  some  of  the 
seams  had  opened,  or  perhaps  a  butt  had  started, 
for  the  ship  was  leaking  badly.  Still  those  dauntless 
men  did  not  despair.  The  crew  were  told  off  in  gangs 
to  work,  and  all  night  the  clank,  clank,  of  the  pumps 
was  heard.  Katharine  dutifully  laid  down  as  she  was 
bidden ;  but  there  was  no  sleep  for  her  nor  any  one  else 
on  the  ship  that  long  night.  The  day  broke  again 
finally,  but  brought  them  no  cheer :  their  labor  had 
been  unavailing;  the  leak  had  gained  on  them  so 
rapidly  that  the  ship  lay  low  in  the  water,  listless 
and  inert,  rolling  in  a  sick,  sluggish,  helpless  way  in 
the  trough  of  the  sea.  The  wind  had  abated  some- 
what, and  a  boat  well  handled  might  live  in  the  water 
now.  By  Captain  Vincent's  direction  the  men  were 
sent  to  their  stations  on  the  spar,  or  upper  deck. 
The  boat's  crew  was  chosen  by  selecting  every  fifteenth 
man  in  the  long  lines,  the  division  officers  doing  the 
counting.  The  boat  was  launched  without  tackles,  by 
main  strength,  sliding  on  rollers  over  the  side  through 
the  broken  bulwarks.  Katharine,  listless  and  indiffer- 
ent, still  attended  by  Chloe,  was  put  aboard.  Cap- 
tain Vincent  looked  about  among  his  officers ;  whom 
should  he  put  in  charge?  They  all  looked  deprecat- 
ingly  and  entreatingly  at  him.  None  desired  to  go ; 
no  one   wished  to  be  singled  out   to   abandon  the 

21  321 


FOR  LOVE  OF   COUNTRY 

ship  and  his  brother  officers.  His  glance  fell  on 
Desborough. 

"  The  duty  is  yours  ;  you  are  the  first  officer  of  the 
ship." 

"  Oh,  Captain  Vincent,  do  not  send  me,  I  beg  you. 
My  place  surely  is  on  the  ship  with  you.  Cannot 
some  one  else  —  " 

"  No,  you  must  go.  My  last  command  to  you, 
my  lord,"  he  said,  smiling  faintly  and  extending  his 
hand.  Desborough,  seeing  the  futility  of  further  ap- 
peal, grasped  it  warmly  in  both  his  own,  bowed  to  the 
other  officers,  and  with  a  wave  of  his  hand  stepped  on 
the  rail  and  sprang  into  the  tossing  boat  alongside, 

"  Are  there  any  others  to  go?  "  he  said. 

The  captain's  eye  fell  upon  the  figure  of  the  colonel 
standing  among  the  officers. 

"  You  are  to  go,  sir.  Nay,  I  will  hear  of  no  objec- 
tions. You  are  my  prisoner,  and  I  am  bound  to  see 
you  delivered  safely.  Go,  colonel.  I  mean  it ;  I  will 
have  you  put  aboard  by  a  file  of  marines  if  you  do 
not  go  at  once." 

Katharine  awoke  from  her  apathy  and  stretched 
out  her  hands  with  a  piteous  cry,  — 

"  Father,  father,  oh,  I  cannot  lose  you  too." 

"  Prisoner  or  no  prisoner,  sir,"  said  the  colonel, 
"  let  me  say  that  I  am  proud  of  my  connection  with 
you  and  your  officers  and  your  men.  If  I  live  to 
reach  the  shore,  the  world  shall  hear  of  this  noble 
ending.  Good-by,  captain;  good-by,  gentlemen.  I 
would  fain  stay  with  you." 

"  No,  no  !  "  was  the  cry  from  this  band  of  heroes ; 
and  then  HoUins  sprang  forward  and  shouted,  — 

"  Lads !  Three  cheers  for  the  colonel  and  for  our 
322 


THREE   PICTURES   OF   THE   SEA 

shipmates  in  the  launch !  Let  them  tell  at  home  that 
we  were  glad  to  stay  by  the  old  ship." 

The  hearty  cheers  came  with  a  roar  from  five 
hundred  throats. 

"  Good-by,  good-by ;  God  bless  you  !  "  cried  the 
colonel,  choking  and  utterly  overcome,  as  he  got  into 
the  boat,  and  sank  down  in  the  stern  sheets  beside 
his  daughter. 

"  Colonel,  we  have  n't  a  moment  of  time,"  whispered 
Desborough,  who  saw  that  the  ship  was  sinking. 

"  Shove  off,  men ;  pull  hard  !  " 

A  few  moments  of  hard  rowing  in  the  heavy  sea 
put  them  some  little  distance  away,  and  the  boat 
waited  under  just  enough  way  to  give  them  command 
of  her.  The  men  of  the  ship  kept  their  stations ;  calm 
and  peaceful,  they  also  waited.  The  ship  settled  lower 
and  lower  ;  a  man  stepped  hurriedly  aft ;  and  a  moment 
later  the  bold  and  brilliant  ensign  of  Old  England, 
which  never  waved  over  braver  men,  fluttered  out  in 
the  heavy  breeze  from  the  wrecked  mast-head,  the 
vivid  red  of  the  proud  flag  making  a  lurid  dash  of 
color  against  the  gray  sky-line.  The  ship  was  lower 
now.  Now  she  plunged  forward ;  the  water  rose ; 
the  captain  raised  his  hand ;  three  hearty  cheers  rang 
out;  the  drums  beat;  the  marines  presented  arms. 
She  was  gone !  The  flag  streamed  out  bravely  on 
the  surface  of  the  water,  and  then  it  was  drawn  down ; 
a  confused  mass  of  heads  and  waving  arms  was  seen 
in  the  water,  and  they  too  in  a  moment  were  slowly 
drawn  down  into  the  vortex  caused  by  the  sinking 
ship.  The  woman  again  hid  her  face  in  her  hands ; 
the  colonel  laid  his  arm  across  the  shoulder  of  his 
daughter  ;  Desborough  and  the  men  in  the  boat  stared 

323 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

horribly  at  the  spot  left  vacant ;  a  deep  groan  broke 
from  them ;  they  rose  on  the  crest  of  a  wave,  sank 
down  again,  rose  once  more  and  looked  again,  —  the 
little  boat  was  alone  on  that  mighty  sea! 

Oh,  the  agony  of  those  long  and  frightful  days  in 
that  little  boat !  Never  a  sail  did  they  sight,  as  day 
after  day  they  rowed  or  sailed  to  the  westward, 
eagerly  scanning  the  horizon  for  a  landfall.  The 
waves  washed  over  them,  saturating  their  clothing ;  the 
chill  winds  of  winter  froze  them.  First  their  provisions 
gave  out,  though  served  with  the  most  rigid  economy 
by  Desborough  himself;  then  the  water,  husbanded 
as  no  precious  jewel  was  ever  hoarded,  was  exhausted 
to  the  last  drop,  and  that  drop,  by  common  consent, 
Desborough  forced  between  Katharine's  reluctant  lips, 
though  she  would  fain  have  refused  it,  claiming  no 
indulgence  beyond  the  others.  The  rare  qualities  of 
that  young  officer  showed  themselves  brilliantly  in 
this  frightful  peril.  It  was  due  to  his  skill  and  careful 
management  that  they  were  not  swamped  a  dozen 
times;  tireless,  unselfish,  cheerful,  unsparing  of  him- 
self, without  him  they  would  have  died.  The  men 
bore  their  sufferings,  when  all  food  and  water  failed 
them,  with  the  sturdy  resolution  of  British  sailors; 
Desborough  his,  with  the  courage  of  the  hero  that  he 
was,  his  fiercest  pang  being  for  the  white-faced  girl 
who  suffered  in  uncomplaining  silence.  The  colonel 
exhibited  the  stoical  indifference  of  a  seasoned  old  sol- 
dier, as  to  his  own  personal  condition,  all  his  thoughts 
being  centred  upon  his  daughter,  who  passed  through 
the  dreadful  experience  with  the  calm  resignation 
of  a  woman  who  had  nothing  left   to  live  for,  and, 

324 


THREE   PICTURES  OF  THE   SEA 

strange  to  say,  seemed  to  feel  it  less  acutely  than  the 
rest;  even  black  Chloe,  who  had  impartially  shared 
with  her  mistress  in  all  the  favors  accorded  to  her, 
being  in  a  state  of  utter  exhaustion,  amounting  to 
collapse. 

When  the  pangs  of  hunger  and  thirst  got  hold  of 
them,  they  refused  —  and  were  indeed  entirely  un- 
able —  to  work  longer  with  the  oars,  so  that,  unless 
the  wind  was  fair  and  the  sail  was  set,  they  simply 
drifted  on. 

One  by  one  the  sailors  died.  Waking  from  a 
troubled  sleep  of  short  duration,  Katharine  one  day 
found  Chloe's  dead  hand  around  her  feet,  her  cold 
lips  pressed  upon  them.  Some  of  the  men  grew  mad 
before  they  died,  and  raved  and  babbled  of  green 
fields  and  running  brooks  until  the  end  came,  and 
still  the  little  boat  drifted  on.  Few  and  short  were 
the  prayers  the  living  said  as,  day  by  day  they  cast 
the  dead  into  the  sea.  Desborough,  the  resolute,  with 
undying  strength  kept  steadily  at  the  helm.  Once 
only  did  he  speak  to  Katharine  in  words  of  love.  As 
their  situation  grew  more  and  more  hopeless,  and 
even  his  resolute  optimism  began  to  fail  him,  he  bent 
down  and  whispered  in  her  ear,  — 

"  I  would  not  trouble  you  now,  Katharine,  but  be- 
fore we  die  I  must  tell  you  once  again  that  I  love 
you.     Will  you  believe  it?  " 

"  I  will  believe  it,"  she  answered  dully,  giving  him 
her  hand.  Oh,  he  thought  in  agony,  as  he  bent  over 
it  and  kissed  it,  how  thin  and  white  and  feeble  it  was  ! 

One  morning,  after  hope  was  dead,  he  was  list- 
lessly scanning  the  line  of  the  horizon  as  the  rising 
sun  threw  it  into  relief,  more  from  habit  than  expect- 

325 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

ancy,  when  his  heart  almost  stopped  its  feeble  beat- 
ing, for  land  was  there  before  him  if  his  strained 
eyes  did  not  deceive  him.  Doubting  the  evidence  of 
his  weakened  senses,  and  fearing  the  delusions  of  a 
disordered  imagination,  he  refrained  from  communi- 
cating his  impressions  to  any  of  the  others  until  the 
light  of  day  determined  the  accuracy  of  his  vision. 
Then  he  whispered  the  news  to  Katharine,  the  apa- 
thetic woman  told  it  to  the  sinking  colonel,  and  then 
Desborough  cried  it  to  his  dying  crew.  The  wind 
sprang  up  at  the  moment  too,  and  in  a  few  hours 
they  beached  the  boat  upon  a  low  sandy  shore,  with 
the  waves  breaking  gently  over  it  in  long  easy  rollers. 
It  was  a  desolate  coast,  sparsely  wooded  with  small 
trees,  and  having  little  evidence  of  human  habitation 
about  it ;  but  no  glimpse  of  heaven  could  have  more 
rejoiced  a  dying  soul  than  this  bleak  haven  to  which 
they  had  been  brought.  They  staggered,  half  fell, 
out  of  the  boat,  and  lay  exhausted,  with  ghastly  hag- 
gard faces,  on  the  shining  sands,  giving  thanks  to  God 
for  His  mercy. 

Desborough,  as  the  strongest  of  the  party,  started 
inland,  finding  by  and  by  a  little  stream  of  fresh  water, 
and  farther  on,  on  higher  ground,  seeing  a  house,  the 
smoke  curling  from  its  chimneys  showing  that  it  was 
inhabited.  To  the  bubbling  spring  he  half  led,  half 
dragged  his  shipwrecked  party.  They  drank  sparingly 
by  his  direction,  and  were  refreshed,  for  with  the  cool 
water  life  and  hope  came  back  to  them  once  more. 
Then  he  left  them  again  and  went  on  to  the  house. 
They  had  landed  on  the  shore  of  Virginia,  and  the 
people  of  the  house  welcomed  and  cared  for  the  poor 
castaways,   sharing  with   them    their    humble    store 

326 


THREE   PICTURES  OF  THE   SEA 

with  the  kindly  hospitality  for  which  the  land  was 
famous.  Their  long  voyage  was  at  an  end,  their 
troubles  were  over.  The  colonel  and  Katharine  would 
be  free  again ;  they  might  go  home  once  more,  and 
Desborough  would  be  a  prisoner. 


327 


15006  V 

THE   DEAD   ALIVE  AGAIN 


329 


CHAPTER  XL 
A  Final  Appeal 

IT  was  springtime  again  in  Virginia.  The  sky,  its 
blue  depths  accentuated  by  the  shifting  clouds, 
was  never  more  clear,  wherever  it  appeared  in  the 
intervals  of  sunshine,  nor  the  air  more  fresh  and 
pure,  even  in  that  land  famed  for  its  bright  skies  and 
its  mild  climate,  than  it  was  this  April  day ;  which, 
with  its  sunshine  and  showers  in  unregulated  alterna- 
tion, seemed  symbolical  of  life,  —  that  life  of  which 
every  tender  blade  of  grass,  every  venturesome  flower 
thrusting  its  head  above  the  sod,  seemed  to  speak. 
There  was  health  and  strength  in  the  gentle  breeze 
which  wantonly  played  with  the  budding  leaves  of  the 
great  trees,  already  putting  forth  little  evangels  of 
that  splendid  foliage  with  which  they  decked  them- 
selves in  the  full  glory  of  summer.  That  merry  wind 
which  swept  through  the  open  boat-house  at  the  end 
of  the  wharf  laid  a  bold  hand  upon  the  curls  which 
fell  about  the  neck  of  the  young  girl  sitting  there  by 
the  door  near  the  water  on  one  of  the  benches,  gazing 
out  over  the  broad  reaches  of  the  quiet,  ever  beautiful 
Potomac,  rippled  gently  by  the  wind  under  the  late 
afternoon  sun.  The  gallant  little  breeze,  fragrant  with 
balm  and  perfume  of  the  trees  and  flowers,  kissed  a 
faint  color  into  her  pale  cheek,  and  seemed  to  whisper 

331 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

to  her  despondent  heart  in  murmuring  sounds  that 
framed  themselves  into  the  immortal  words  "  hope, 
hope." 

The  young  girl  had  but  yesterday  entered  upon 
her  twentieth  spring.  Four  months  ago  there  had 
not  been  a  merrier,  lighter-hearted,  gayer,  more 
coquettish  young  maiden  in  tidewater  Virginia ;  and 
to-day,  she  thought,  as  she  looked  down  at  her  thin 
hand  outlined  so  clearly  upon  the  vivid  cardinal  cloak 
she  wore,  which  had  dropped  unheeded  on  the  seat 
by  her  side,  to-day  she  was  like  that  man  in  the  play 
of  whom  her  father  read,  —  a  grave  man.  No,  not  a 
man  at  all.  Once,  in  her  enthusiasm,  she  had  fondly 
imagined  that  she  had  possessed  all  those  daring 
qualities  of  energy  and  action,  those  manly  virtues, 
which  might  have  been  hers  by  inheritance  could 
the  accident  of  sex  have  been  reversed.  But  now 
she  knew  she  was  but  a  woman,  after  all,  —  so  weak, 
so  feeble,  so  listless.  What  had  she  left  to  live  for? 
Once  it  was  her  father,  then  it  was  her  country,  then 
it  was  her  lover;  now?  Nothing!  Her  father  at 
the  request  of  Congress  would  soon  resume  his  inter- 
rupted duties  in  France,  now  become  more  important 
than  ever.  He  was  a  man  of  the  world  and  a  soldier, 
a  diplomat.  The  hard  experiences  of  the  past  few 
months  were  for  him  episodes,  exciting  truly,  but 
only  part  of  a  lifetime  spent  in  large  adventure,  soon 
forgotten  in  some  other  strenuous  part  demanded  by 
some  other  strenuous  exigency.  But  she,  —  no,  she 
was  not  a  man  at  all,  but  a  woman,  —  unused  to  such 
scenes  and  happenings  as  fate  had  lately  made  her  a 
participant  in.  Her  father  might  have  his  country, 
—  he  had  not  lost  his  love,  his  heart  was  not  buried 

332 


A  FINAL  APPEAL 

out  in  the  depths  of  the  cruel  sea.  What  had  become 
of  that  Roman  patriotism  upon  which  she  prided 
herself  in  times  past?  Her  country!  What  had 
changed  her  so  ?     There  were  many  answers. 

There  was  Blodgett's  grave  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 
She  had  played  in  childhood  with  that  faithful  old 
soldier.  Many  a  tale  had  he  told  her  of  her  gallant 
father  when,  as  a  young  man,  he  gayly  rode  away  to 
the  wars,  leaving  her  lady  mother  in  tears  behind. 
She  could  sympathize  with  waiting  women  now,  and 
understand.  Those  were  such  deeds  of  daring  that 
the  rude  recital  of  the  old  man  once  stirred  her  very 
heart  with  joy  and  terror ;  now  she  was  sick  at  the 
thought  of  them.  And  Blodgett  was  gone ;  he  had 
died  defending  them,  where  he  had  been  stationed. 
That  was  an  answer. 

There,  too,  far  away  in  another  State,  lay  the  lover 
of  her  girlhood's  happy  day, — the  bright-eyed,  eager, 
gallant,  joyous  lad.  What  good  comrades  they  had 
been !  How  they  had  laughed,  and  played,  and  rid- 
den, and  rowed,  and  hunted,  and  danced,  and  flirted, 
through  the  morning  of  life,  —  how  pleasant  had  been 
that  life  indeed !  He  was  quiet  now ;  she  could  no 
longer  join  in  his  ringing  laugh,  the  sound  of  his 
voice  was  stilled,  they  might  never  play  together 
again,  —  was  there  any  play  at  all  in  life  ?  That  was 
another  answer. 

There  was  the  white-haired  mother,  the  stately  little 
royalist.  Madam  Talbot,  who  slept  in  peace  on  the 
hill  at  Fairview  Hall,  her  ambitions,  her  hopes,  and 
her  loyalty  buried  with  her,  leaving  the  place  unten- 
anted save  by  wistful  memories ;  she  too  had  gone. 

Answers?  —  they  crowded  thick  upon  her !  There 
233 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

were  the  officers  of  the  Yarmouth,  Captain  Vincent, 
Beauchamp,  Hollins,  and  the  little  boy,  the  Honor- 
able Giles,  and  all  the  other  officers  and  men  with 
whom  she  had  come  in  contact  on  that  frightful 
cruise.  There  were  the  heroic  men  who  had  stayed 
by  their  ship,  who  had  seen  the  favored  few  go  away 
in  the  only  boat  that  was  left  seaworthy,  without  a 
murmur  at  being  left  behind,  who  had  faced  death 
unheeding,  unrepining,  sinking  down  in  the  dark 
water  with  a  cheer  upon  their  lips.  There  was  the  old 
sailor,  too,  with  his  unquenchable  patriotism,  her  friend 
because  the  friend  of  her  lover ;  and  Philip,  her  brother ; 
and  there  was  Seymour  himself.  Ah,  what  were  all 
the  rest  to  him !     Gone,  and  how  she  loved  him ! 

She  leaned  her  head  upon  her  hand  and  thought 
of  him.  Here  in  this  boat-house  he  had  first  spoken 
to  her  of  his  love.  Here  she  had  first  felt  his  lips 
touch  her  cheek.  There,  rocked  gently  by  the  light 
breeze,  upon  the  water  at  her  feet  was  the  familiar 
little  pleasure-boat ;  she  had  not  allowed  any  one  to 
row  her  about  in  it  since  her  return,  in  spite  of  much 
entreaty.  It  was  this  very  cloak  she  wore  that  day, 
nearly  the  very  hour.  The  place  was  redolent  with 
sweet  memories  of  happy  days,  though  to  think  on 
them  now  broke  her  heart.  It  all  came  back  to  her 
as  it  had  come  again  and  again.  She  briefly  reviewed 
that  acquaintance,  short  though  it  was,  which  had 
changed  the  whole  course  of  her  life.  She  saw  him 
again,  as  he  struck  prompt  to  defend  her  honor  in 
the  hall,  resenting  a  ruffian's  soiling  hand  stretched 
out  to  her ;  she  saw  him  lying  wounded  and  senseless 
there  at  her  feet.  She  saw  him  stretched  prone  on 
that  shattered  deck,  on  that  ruined  ship,  pale,  blood- 

334 


.    A  FINAL  APPEAL 

stained,  senseless  again,  again  unheeding  her  bitter 
cry.  She  would  have  called  once  more  upon  him, 
save  that  she  knew  humanity  has  no  voice  which 
reaches  out  into  the  darkness  by  which  it  may  call 
back  those  who  are  once  gone  to  live  beyond.  She 
did  not  weep,  —  that  were  a  small  thing,  a  trifle ; 
she  sat  and  brooded.  What  had  she  lost  in  the  ser- 
vice of  her  country?  What  sacrifices  had  been  ex- 
acted from  her  by  that  insatiable  country !  Alas, 
alas,  she  thought,  men  may  have  a  country,  a  woman 
has  only  a  heart. 

Four  short  months  had  changed  it  all.  How  young 
she  had  been!  Would  she  ever  be  young  again? 
How  full  of  the  joy  of  life  !  Its  currents  swept  by  her 
unheeded  now.  Why  had  not  God  been  merciful  to 
her,  that  she  could  have  died  there  upon  the  sea,  she 
thought.  Ah,  poor  humanity  never  learns  His  mercy ; 
perhaps  it  is  because  we  have  no  measure  by  which 
to  fathom  its  mighty  depths.  She  saw  herself  old  and 
lonely,  forgotten  but  not  forgetting.  But  even  then 
lacked  she  not  opportunity;  woman-like,  in  spite  of 
her  constancy,  she  took  a  melancholy  pleasure  in  the 
thought  that  there  was  one  still  who  hungered  for 
the  shattered  remnants  of  her  broken  heart,  who 
lived  for  the  sound  of  her  voice  and  the  glance  of  her 
eyes  and  the  light  of  her  face.  One  there  was,  hand- 
some, brave,  distinguished,  gentle,  of  ancient  name, 
assured  station,  ample  fortune,  who  longed  to  lay  all 
he  was  or  had  at  her  feet. 

But  what  were  these  things?  Nothing  to  her, 
nothing.  There  was  but  one,  as  she  had  said  on  the 
ship  to  Desborough :  "  I  love  a  sailor ;  you  are  not 
he."     And  yet  her  soul  was  filled  with  pity  for  the 

335 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

gallant  gentleman,  and  she  thought  of  him  tenderly 
with  deep  affection. 

Presently  she  heard  quick  footsteps  on  the  floor  of 
the  boat-house,  and  turning  her  head  she  saw  him. 
He  held  a  letter,  an  official  packet,  with  the  seal 
broken,  open  in  his  hand. 

"Oh,  Miss  Wilton,  you  here?"  he  said.  "I  have 
looked  everywhere  for  you.  Do  you  not  think  the 
evening  air  grows  chill?  Is  it  not  too  cold  for  you 
out  here  in  the  boat-house?  Allow  me;  "  and  then, 
with  that  gentle  solicitude  which  women  prize,  he 
lifted  the  neglected  cloak  and  tenderly  wrapped  it 
about  her  shoulders. 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said  gratefully,  faintly  smiling 
up  at  him,  "  but  I  hardly  need  it.  I  do  not  feel  at  all 
cold.  The  air  is  so  pleasant  and  the  sun  is  not  yet 
set,  you  see.  Did  you  wish  to  see  me  about  anything 
special.  Lord  Desborough?" 

"No — yes — that  is —  Oh,  Mistress  Katharine, 
the  one  special  want  of  my  life  is  to  see  you  always 
and  everywhere.  You  know  that,  —  nay,  never  lift 
your  hand,  —  I  remember.  I  will  try  not  to  trespass 
upon  your  orders  again.  I  came  to  tell  you  that  — 
I  am  going  away." 

"  Going  away,"  she  repeated  sadly.  "  Has  your 
exchange  been  made?" 

"  Yes ;  a  courier  came  to  the  Hall  a  short  time 
since,  and  here  it  is.  My  orders,  you  see ;  I  must 
leave  at  once." 

"  I  am  sorry,  indeed  sorry  that  you  must  go." 

He  started  suddenly  as  if  to  speak,  a  little  flash  of 
hope  flickering  in  his  despondent  face;  but  she 
continued   quickly,  — 

336 


A  FINAL  APPEAL 

"  It  has  been  very  pleasant  for  us  to  have  you  here, 
except  that  you  have  been  a  prisoner ;  but  now  you 
will  be  free,  and  for  that,  of  course,  I  rejoice.  But  I 
have  so  few  friends  left,"  she  went  on  mournfully,  "  I 
am  loath  to  see  one  depart,  even  though  he  be  an 
enemy." 

"  Oh,  do  not  call  me  an  enemy,  I  entreat  you, 
Katharine.  Oh,  let  me  speak  just  once  again,"  he 
interrupted  with  his  usual  impetuosity ;  "  and  talk  not 
to  me  of  freedom  !  While  the  earth  holds  you  I  am 
not  free:  ay,  even  should  Heaven  claim  you,  I  still 
am  bound.  All  the  days  of  my  captivity  here  I  have 
been  a  most  willing  and  happy  prisoner,  —  your  pris- 
oner. I  have  looked  forward  with  dread  and  anguish 
to  the  day  when  I  might  be  exchanged  and  have  to 
go  away.  Here  would  I  have  been  content  to  pass 
my  life,  by  your  side.  Oh,  once  again  let  me  plead ! 
My  duty,  my  honor,  call  me  now  to  the  service  of 
my  king.  I  no  longer  have  excuse  for  delay,  but 
you  have  almost  made  me  forget  there  was  a  king. 
Now  that  I  must  go,  why  should  I  go  alone?"  he 
went  on  eagerly.  "  I  know,  I  know  you  love  the  — 
the  other,  —  but  he  is  gone.  You  do  not  hate  me, 
you  even  like  me ;  you  regret  my  going ;  perhaps  as 
days  go  by,  you  will  regret  it  more.  We  are  at  least 
friends ;  let  me  take  care  of  you  in  future.  Oh,  it 
kills  me  to  see  you  so  white,  and  indifferent  to  life 
and  all  that  it  has  or  should  have  for  you.  You  are 
only  a  girl  yet,  —  I  cannot  bear  to  see  all  the  color 
gone  out  of  your  sweet  face,  the  light  out  of  your 
eyes ;  the  sight  of  that  thin  hand  breaks  my  heart. 
Won't  you  live  for  me  to  love,  —  live,  and  let  me 
love  you?  Your  father  goes  to-morrow,  so  he  says, 
22  337 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

and  you  will  be  left  alone  here ;  why  should  it  be  ? 
Go  with  me.  Give  me  a  right  to  do  what  my  heart 
aches  to  do  for  you,  —  to  coax  the  roses  back  into 
your  cheek,  to  woo  the  laugh  to  your  lips,  to  win 
happiness  back  to  your  heart ;  to  devote  my  life  to 
you,  darling.  Have  pity  on  me,  have  pity  on  my 
love,  —  have  pity !  " 

His  voice  dropped  into  a  passionate  whisper;  as 
he  pleaded  with  her,  he  sank  down  upon  one  knee  by 
her  side,  beseeching  by  word  and  gesture  and  look 
that  she  should  show  him  that  pity  he  could  see  in 
her  eyes,  that  he  knew  was  in  her  heart,  and  to  which 
he  made  his  last  appeal ;  and  then,  lifting  the  hem  of 
her  dress  to  his  lips  with  an  unconscious  movement 
of  passionate  reverence,  he  waited. 

She  looked  at  him  in  silence  a  moment.  So  young, 
so  handsome,  so  appealing,  her  heart  filled  with 
sorrow  and  sympathy  for  him.  There  was  hope  in 
his  eyes  which  she  had  not  seen  for  many  days  ;  how 
could  she  drive  it  away  and  crush  his  heart !  It  might 
be  cruel,  but  she  had  no  answer,  no  other  answer,  no 
new  word,  to  tell  him.  Her  eyes  filled  with  tears ; 
she  could  not  trust  herself  to  speak,  she  only  shook 
her  head. 

"  Ah,"  he  said,  rising  to  his  feet  and  throwing  up 
his  hands  with  a  gesture  of  despair,  "  I  knew  it. 
Well,  the  dream  is  over  at  last.  This  is  the  end.  I 
sought  life,  and  found  death ;  that,  at  least,  if  it  shall 
come  I  shall  welcome.  Would  God  I  had  gone  down 
with  the  ship !  You  have  no  pity ;  you  let  a  dead 
image  —  an  idea  —  stand  between  you  and  a  living 
love.     Will  you  never  forget?" 

"  Never,"  she  said  softly.  "  Love  knows  no  death. 
338 


A  FINAL  APPEAL 

He  is  alive  —  here.  But  do  not  grieve  so  for  me ; 
I  am  not  worth  it.  You  will  go  away  and  forget, 
and  —  " 

"  No;  you  have  said  it,  'Love  knows  no  death,'  I, 
too,  cannot  forget.  As  long  as  I  live  I  shall  love  — 
and  remember.  How  if  I  waited  and  waited?  Kath- 
arine, I  would  wait  forever  for  you,"  he  said,  sud- 
denly catching  at  the  trifle. 

"  No,  it  would  be  no  use.  My  friend,  we  both 
must  suffer ;  it  cannot  be  otherwise.  I  esteem  you, 
respect  you,  admire  you.  You  have  protected  me, 
honored  me;  my  gratitude — "  She  went  on  brok- 
enly, "  You  might  ask  anything  of  me  but  my  heart, 
and  that  is  given  away." 

"  Let  me  take  you  without  it,  then.  I  want  but 
you." 

"  No,  Lord  Desborough,  it  cannot  be.  Do  not  ask 
me  again.     No,  I  cannot  say  I  wish  it  otherwise." 

His  flickering  hope  died  away  in  silence.  "  Kath- 
arine, will  you  promise  me,  if  there  ever  comes  a 
time  —  " 

"  I  promise,"  she  said ;  *'  but  the  time  will  never 
come." 

He  looked  at  her  as  dying  men  look  to  the  light, 
there  was  a  long  silence,  and  then  he  said,  — 

"  I  must  go  now,  Katharine.  I  suppose  I  must  bid 
you  good-by  now?" 

"  Yes,  I  think  it  would  be  best." 

"  I  shall  pass  this  way  again  on  my  journey  to 
Alexandria  in  half  an  hour ;  may  I  not  speak  once 
more  to  you  then?" 

"  No,"  she  said  finally,  after  a  long  pause.  "  I 
think   it   best  that  we   should   end  it  now.     It  can 

339 


FOR  LOVE  OF  COUNTRY 

do  no  good  at  all.  Good-by,  and  may  God  bless 
you." 

He  bent  and  kissed  her  hand,  and  then  stopped  a 
moment  and  looked  at  her,  saying  never  a  word. 

"  Good-by,  again,"  she  said. 

On  the  instant  he  turned  and  left  her. 


340 


CHAPTER  XLI 

Into  the  Haven  at  last 

TWO  weary  horsemen  on  tired  horses  were  slowly 
riding  up  the  river  road  just  where  it  entered 
the  Wilton  plantation.  One  was  young,  a  mere  boy 
in  years ;  but  a  certain  habit  of  command,  with  the 
responsibility  accompanying,  had  given  him  a  more 
manly  appearance  than  his  age  warranted.  The 
other,  to  a  casual  glance,  seemed  much  older  than 
his  companion,  though  closer  inspection  would  show 
that  he  was  still  a  young  man,  and  that  those  marks 
upon  his  face  which  the  careless  passer-by  would 
consider  the  attributes  of  age  had  been  traced  by  the 
fingers  of  grief  and  trouble.  The  bronzed  and  weather- 
beaten  faces  of  both  riders  bespoke  an  open-air  life, 
and  suggested  those  who  go  down  upon  the  great 
deep  in  ships,  a  suggestion  further  borne  out  by  the 
faded,  worn  naval  uniforms  they  wore.  In  spite  of 
the  joy  of  springtime  which  was  all  about  them,  both 
were  silent  and  both  were  sad ;  but  the  sadness  of 
the  boy,  as  was  natural,  was  less  deep,  less  intense, 
than  that  of  the  man.  He  was  too  young  to  realize  the 
greatness  of  the  loss  he  had  sustained  in  the  death  of 
his  father  and  sister ;  and  were  it  not  for  the  constant 
reminder  afforded  him  by  the  presence  of  his  gloomy 
companion,  he  would  probably,  with  the  careless 
elasticity  of  youth,  have  been  more  successful  in 
throwing  off  his  own  sorrow.     The  man  had  not  lost 

341 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

a  father  or  a  sister,  but  some  one  dearer  still.  He 
looked  thin  and  ill,  and  under  the  permanent  bronze 
of  his  countenance  the  ravages  wrought  by  fever, 
wounds,  and  long  illness  were  plainly  perceptible; 
there  were  gray  hairs  in  his  thick  neatly  tied  locks, 
too,  that  had  no  rightful  place  there  in  one  of  his 
age.  The  younger  and  stronger  assisted  and  watched ' 
over  his  older  companion  with  the  tenderest  care  and 
attention. 

They  rode  slowly  up  the  pleasant  road  under  the 
great  trees,  from  time  to  time  engaging  in  a  desultory 
conversation.  Philip  endeavored  to  cheer  his  com- 
panion by  talking. lightly  of  boyhood  days,  as  each 
turn  of  the  road  brought  familiar  places  in  the  old 
estate  in  view.  Here  he  and  Katharine  and  Hilary 
had  been  wont  to  play ;  there  was  a  favorite  spot,  a 
pleasant  haunt  here,  this  had  been  the  scene  of  some 
amusing  adventure.  These  well-meant  reminiscences 
nearly  drove  Seymour  mad,  but  he  would  not  stop 
them.  Finally,  they  came  to  the  place  where  the 
road  divided,  one  branch  pursuing  its  course  along 
the  river-bank  past  the  boat-house  toward  the  Talbot 
place,  the  other  turning  inland  from  the  river  and 
winding  about  till  it  surmounted  the  high  bluff  and 
reached  the  door  of  the  Hall.  There  Philip  drew 
rein. 

"  This  is  the  way  to  the  Hall,  you  know.  Captain 
Seymour,"  he  said,  pointing  to  the  right.  Seymour 
hesitated  a  moment,  and  said  finally,  — 

"  Yes,  I  know ;  the  boat-house  lies  over  there,  does 
it  not,  beyond  the  turn?  I  think  I  will  let  you  go  up 
to  the  house  alone,  Philip,  and  I  will  go  down  to  the 
boat-house  myself.     I  will  ride  back  presently." 

342 


INTO  THE   HAVEN   AT  LAST 

"  Well,  then,  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  Philip.  "  I 
really  think  you  are  too  weak,  you  know,  especially 
after  our  long  ride  to-day,  to  go  alone." 

"  No,  Philip,"  said  Seymour,  gently,  "  I  wish  to  be 
alone  for  a  few  moments." 

The  boy  hesitated. 

"  Oh,  very  well,"  he  said,  beginning  to  understand, 
"  I  will  sit  down  here  on  this  tree  by  the  road  and 
wait  for  you.  I  '11  tie  my  horse,  and  you  can  leave 
yours  here  also,  if  you  wish.  There  is  nothing  at  the 
Hall,  God  knows,  to  make  me  hurry  up  there  now, 
since  father  and  Katharine  are  gone,"  he  continued 
with  a  sigh.  "  Go  on,  sir,  I  '11  wait.  You  won't 
mind  my  waiting?" 

"  No,  certainly  not,  if  you  wish  it.  I  shall  be  back 
in  a  few  minutes  anyway.  I  just  want  to  see  the  — 
the  —  ah  —  boathouse,  you  know." 

"  Yes,  certainly,  I  understand,  of  course,"  replied 
Philip,  bluntly,  but  carefully  looking  away,  and  then 
dismounting  from  his  tired  horse  and  assisting  Sey- 
mour to  do  the  same  from  his. 

"  Poor  old  fellow !  "  he  murmured,  as  he  saw  the 
man  walk  haltingly  and  painfully  up  the  road  and 
disappear  around  the  little  bend. 

Left  to  himself  Seymour  stumbled  alone  along  the 
familiar  road  over  which  a  few  short  months  before 
he  had  often  travelled  light-heartedly  by  the  side 
of  Katharine.  As  he  pressed  on,  he  noticed  a 
man  leave  the  boat-house  and  climb  slowly  up  the 
hill.  Desirous  of  escaping  the  notice  of  the  stranger, 
who,  he  supposed,  might  be  the  factor  or  agent  of 
the  plantation,  he  waited  in  the  shadow  of  the  trees 
until  the  man  disappeared  over  the  brow  of  the  hill, 

343 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

and  then  he  staggered  on.  A  short  time  after,  he 
stood  on  the  landward  end  of  the  httle  pier,  and 
then  his  heart  stood  still  for  a  second,  and  then 
leaped  madly  in  his  breast,  as  he  seemed  to  hear  a 
subtle  voice,  like  an  echo  of  the  past,  which  whispered 
his  name,  "  Seymour  !  Seymour !  "  Stepping  to- 
ward the  middle  of  the  pier  so  that  he  could  see  the 
interior  of  the  boat-house  through  the  inner  door,  his 
eyes  fell  upon  the  figure  of  a  woman  standing  in  the 
other  doorway  looking  out  over  the  water,  stretching 
out  her  hands.  The  sun  had  set  by  this  time,  and 
the  gray  dusk  of  the  evening  was  stealing  over  the 
river.  He  could  not  see  distinctly,  but  there  was  light 
enough  to  show  him  a  familiar  scarlet  cloak  at  her 
feet,  and  although  her  back  was  turned  to  him,  he 
recognized  the  graceful  outlines  of  her  slender  figure. 
It  was  Katharine,  or  a  dream !  But  could  the  dead 
return  again?  Had  the  sea  given  up  her  dead 
indeed? 

He  could  not  believe  the  evidence  of  his  bewildered 
senses.  It  might  be  an  hallucination,  the  baseless 
fabric  of  a  vision,  some  image  conjured  from  the  deep 
recesses  of  his  loving  heart  by  his  enfeebled  disordered 
imagination,  and  yet  he  surely  had  heard  a  living 
voice,  "Seymour  —  John  —  Oh,  my  love!  "  Stifling 
the  beating  of  his  heart,  holding  his  breath  even, 
stepping  softly,  lest  he  should  affright  the  airy  vision, 
he  staggered  to  the  door  and  stood  gazing;  then  he 
whispered  one  word,  — 

"  Katharine !  " 

It  was  only  a  whisper  she  heard,  but  it  reached  the 
very  centre  of  her  being. 

*'  Katharine,"  he  said  softly  again,  with  so  much 
344 


INTO   THE   HAVEN   AT  LAST 

passionate  entreaty  in  his  wistful  voice,  that  under  its 
compelling  influence  she  slowly  turned  and  looked 
toward  the  other  door  from  whence  the  sound  had 
come.  Then  as  she  saw  him,  lifting  one  hand  to  her 
head  while  the  other  unconsciously  sought  her  heart, 
she  shrank  back  against  the  wall,  and  stared  at  him 
in  voiceless  terror.  He  dropped  unsteadily  to  his 
knee,  as  if  to  worship  at  a  shrine. 

"  Oh,  do  not  go  away,"  he  whispered.  "  I  know 
it  is  only  a  dream  of  mine  —  so  many  times  have  I 
seen  you,  ever  since  the  night  the  frigate  struck  and 
I  sent  you  to  your  death  on  that  rocky  pass,  in  that 
beating  sea.  Ay,  in  the  long  hours  of  the  fever  — 
but  you  did  not  shrink  away  from  me  then,  you 
listened  to  me  say  I  love  you,  and  you  answered." 
He  stretched  out  his  hand  toward  her  in  tender 
appeal.  She  bent  forward  toward  him.  He  rose  to 
his  feet,  half  in  terror. 

"  Kate,"  he  said  uncertainly,  "  is  it  indeed  you  ? 
Are  you  alive  again  ?  " 

She  was  nearer  now.  One  glad  cry  broke  from 
her  lips ;  he  was  in  her  arms  again,  and  she  was 
clasped  to  his  heart !  —  a  real  woman  and  no  dream, 
no  vision.  What  the  wind  could  only  faintly  shadow 
forth  upon  her  cheek,  sprang  into  life  under  the 
touch  of  his  fevered  lips,  and  color  flooded  them  like 
a  wave.  Laughing,  crying,  sobbing,  she  clung  to 
him,  kissed  him  with  little  incoherent  murmurs,  gazed 
at  him,  wept  over  him,  kissed  him  again.  All  the 
troubles  of  the  intervening  days  of  sadness  and  priva- 
tion faded  away  from  her  like  a  disused  chrysalis,  and 
she  sparkled  with  life  and  love  like  a  butterfly  new 
born. 

345 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

He  that  was  dead  was  alive  again,  he  had  come 
back,  and  he  was  here !  As  for  him,  in  fearful  sur- 
prise, he  held  her  to  his  breast  once  more,  still  un- 
believing. She  noticed  then  an  empty  sleeve,  and 
raised  it  tenderly  to  her  lips. 

"  I  lost  it  after  an  action  with  the  British  ship 
Yarmouth,  —  it  was  only  a  flesh  wound  at  first,  — we 
were  long  in  reaching  Charleston ;  the  arm  had  to  be 
amputated.     It  was  a  fearful  action." 

"  I  know  it,"  she  interrupted ;   "  I  was  there." 

"  You,  Katharine  !  Ah,  that  woman  on  the  ship  ! 
I  was  not  deceived  then,  and  yet  I  could  not 
believe  it." 

"Yes,  'twas  I.  I  gloried  in  your  bravery,  until  I 
saw  you  lying,  as  I  thought,  dead  on  the  deck.  Oh, 
John,  the  horror  of  that  moment !  Then  I  called 
you,  and  you  did  not  answer.  Then  I  wanted  to  die, 
too,  but  now  I  am  alive  again,  and  so  happy  —  but 
for  this ;  "  she  lifted  the  empty  sleeve  to  her  lips. 
"  How  you  must  have  suffered,  my  poor  darling," 
she  went  on,  her  eyes  filling  with  tears,  her  heart 
yearning  over  him,  "  And  how  ill  you  look,  and  I 
keep  you  standing  here,  —  how  thoughtless  !  Come 
to  the  bench  here  and  sit  down.     Lean  on  me." 

"  Nay,  but,  Kate,  you  too  have  suffered.  See !  " 
He  lifted  her  arm,  the  loose  sleeve  fell  back.  "  Oh,  how 
thin  it  is,  and  how  smooth  and  round  and  plump  it 
was  when  I  kissed  it  last,"  he  said,  as  he  raised  it 
tenderly  again  to  his  lips. 

"  It  is  nothing,  John.  I  shall  be  all  right  now  that 
you  are  here.  You  poor  shattered  lover,  how  you 
must  have  suffered !  "  she  went  on,  with  a  sob  in  her 
voice. 

346 


INTO   THE   HAVEN   AT   LAST 

**  Oh,  Katharine,  this,"  looking  down  at  his  empty 
sleeve,  "  was  nothing  to  what  I  suffered  before,  when 
I  thought  I  had  killed  you  !  " 

"  When  you  thought  you  had  killed  me  !  "  she  said 
in  surprise.  They  were  sitting  close  together  now, 
and  she  had  his  hand  in  both  her  own.  "  How  — 
when,  was  that?" 

And  then  he  told  her  rapidly  about  the  loss  of  the 
Radnor,  and  the  idea  which  her  note  had  given  that 
she  was  on  board  of  it. 

*'  And  you  led  that  ship  down  to  destruction,  be- 
lieving I  was  on  her  !  How  could  you  do  it,  John  ?  " 
she  said  reproachfully. 

"  It  was  my  duty,  darling  Kate,"  he  said  desper- 
ately. 

"  And  did  you  love  your  duty  more  than  me?  " 

"  Love  it  ^  I  hated  it !  But  I  had  to  do  it,  dear- 
est," he  went  on  pleadingly.  "Honor — you  told 
me  so  yourself,  here,  in  this  very  spot;  I  remember 
your  words;  do  you  not  recall  them?  —  '  If  I  stood 
in  the  pathway  of  liberty  for  a  single  instant  I  should 
despise  the  man  who  would  not  sweep  me  aside  with- 
out a  moment's  hesitation.'  Don't  you  know  you 
said  that,  Katharine?" 

"Did  I  say  it?  Ah,  but  that  was  before  I  loved 
you  so,  and  you  swept  me  aside,  —  well,  I  love  you 
still,  and,  John,  I  honor  you  for  it  too ;  but  I  could 
not  do  it.     You  see,  I  am  only  a  woman." 

"  Kate,  don't  say  '  only  a  woman '  that  way ;  what 
else  would  I  have  you,  pray?  But  tell  me  of 
yourself." 

Briefly  she  recited  the  events  that  had  occurred  to 
her,  dwelling  much  upon  Desborough's  courage  and 

347 


FOR  LOVE   OF  COUNTRY 

devotion  to  her  in  the  first  days  of  her  captivity,  the 
death  of  Johnson,  the  burning  of  Norfolk,  the  death 
of  Bentley.  He  interrupted  her  there,  and  would 
fain  hear  every  detail  of  the  sad  scene  over  again, 
thanking  her  and  blessing  her  for  what  she  had  done. 

"  It  was  nothing,"  she  said  simply ;  "  I  loved  to  do 
it;  he  was  your  friend.  It  seemed  to  bring  me  closer 
to  you."  Then  she  told  him  of  the  foundering  of  the 
ship,  of  the  frightful  voyage  in  the  boat,  and  rang  the 
changes  upon  Desborough's  name,  his  cheerfulness, 
his  unfailing  zeal  and  energy,  until  Seymour's  heart 
filled  with  jealous  pain. 

"Kate,"  he  said  at  last,  "  as  I  came  up  the  road  I 
saw  a  man  leave  the  boat-house  and  climb  the  hill ; 
who  was  it  ?  " 

"  It  was  Lord  Desborough,  John." 

Seymour  was  human,  and  filled  with  human  feel- 
ing.    He  drew  away  from  her. 

"  What  was  he  doing  here  ?  "  he  said  coldly.  She 
smiled  at  him  merrily. 

"Bidding  me  good-by.  He  was  made  prisoner, 
of  course,  by  the  first  soldier  we  came  across  after  we 
landed,  and  has  been  spending  the  days  of  his  cap- 
tivity with  us.  He  was  exchanged  to-day,  and  leaves 
to-night." 

"  Katharine,  he  was  in  love  with  you !  "  he  said, 
with  what  seemed  to  him  marvellous  perspicacity. 

"Yes,  John,"  she  answered,  still  smiling. 

"  Was  he  making  love  to  you  here?  " 
•    "Yes." 

"And  you?  You  praise  this  man,  you  like  him, 
you  —  " 

"  I  think  him  the  bravest  man,  the  truest  gentleman 
348 


INTO  THE   HAVEN   AT  LAST 

in  the  world  —  except  this  one,"  she  said,  laying  her 
hand  upon  his  shoulder  and  her  head  upon  his  breast. 
"  No,  no ;  he  pleaded  in  vain.  I  only  pitied  him ;  I 
loved  you.  Do  not  be  jealous,  foolish  boy.  No  one 
should  have  me.     I  am  yours  alone." 

"  But  if  I  had  not  come  back,  Kate,  —  how  then?  " 

**  It  would  have  made  no  difference.  I  told  him 
so." 

Neither  of  them  in  their  mutual  absorption  had 
noticed  that  a  horse  had  stopped  in  the  road  opposite 
the  boat-house,  and  a  horseman  had  walked  to  the 
door  and  had  halted  at  the  sight  which  met  his  eyes. 
Desborough  recognized  Seymour  at  once,  and  he  had 
unwittingly  heard  the  end  of  the  conversation.  He 
was  the  second.  The  man  was  back  again.  It  was 
true.  The  gallant  gentleman  stood  still  a  moment, 
making  no  sound,  then  turned  back  and  mounted  his 
horse,  and  rode  madly  away  with  despair  in  his  heart. 

"  Oh,  Katharine,"  Seymour  said  at  last,  "  do  you 
know  that  I  am  a  poor  man  now?  Lame !  See,  I 
can  no  longer  walk  straight."  He  stood  up.  "  Poor 
surgery  after  the  battle  did  that." 

"  The  more  reason  that  in  the  future  you  should 
not  go  alone,"  she  said  softly,  standing  by  his  side. 

"  And  with  but  one  arm,"  he  continued. 

"  No,  three,"  she  said  again,  "  for  here  are  two." 

"  Besides,  my  trading  ships  have  been  captured  by 
the  enemy,  my  private  fortune  has  been  spent  for  the 
cause.     I  am  a  poor  man  in  every  sense." 

"  Nay,  John,  you  are  a  rich  man,"  she  said  gayly. 

"  Oh,  yes,  rich  in  your  love,  Katharine." 

"  Yes,  that  of  course,  if  that  be  riches,  and  richer  in 
honor  too  ;  but  that 's  not  all." 

349 


FOR  LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

"What  else  pray,  dearest?  " 

"Did  you  know  that  Madam  Talbot  had  died?" 
she  answered,  with  apparent  irrelevance. 

"  No,  but  I  am  not  surprised  at  it.  After  her  son's 
death  I  expected  it,  poor  lady.  He  loved  you  too, 
Kate.  We  fought  about  you  once,"  he  said ;  and  then 
he  told  her  briefly  of  Talbot's  end,  his  burial,  the 
interview  he  had  with  Talbot's  mother,  and  the  letter. 

"  I  have  seen  that  letter  since  I  returned,"  she  said. 
"It  is  at  Fairview  Hall  now  awaiting  you,  awaiting 
its  master  like  the  other  things  there,  —  and  here. 
Shall  we  live  there,  think  you,  John?" 

"  Awaiting  me  !  Its  master !  Live  there  !  What 
mean  you,  Kate?"  he  cried  in  surprise. 

"  Yes,  yes,  it  is  all  yours,"  she  replied,  laughing  at 
his  astonishment.  "  A  codicil  to  her  will,  written  and 
signed  the  day  before  she  died,  the  day  after  you  saw 
her,  left  it  all  to  you.  It  was  to  have  been  her  son's 
and  then  mine ;  and  when  she  believed  us  dead,  as  she 
had  no  relatives  in  this  land  she  left  it  to  you,  '  As,'  I 
quote  her  own  words,  '  a  true  and  noble  gentleman 
who  honors  any  cause,  however  mistaken,  to  which 
he  may  give  his  allegiance.'  I  quote  them,  but  they 
are  my  own  words  as  well.  You  are  a  rich  man,  John, 
and  the  two  estates  will  come  together  as  father  and 
Madam  Talbot  had  hoped,  after  all." 

"  I  am  glad,  Kate,  for  your  sake." 

"  It  is  nothing.  I  should  have  taken  you,  if  you 
had  nothing  at  all." 

A  young  man  ran  down  the  little  pier  and  into  the 
house  at  this  moment.  "  Kate,"  he  cried,  "  where 
are  you  ?  It  is  so  dark  here  I  can  hardly  see  —  Ah, 
there  you   are !  "    he   ran   forward   and   kissed   her 

350 


INTO  THE   HAVEN   AT  LAST 

boisterously.  "  You  '11  have  to  forgive  me,  I  could 
not  wait  any  longer,  Captain  Seymour.  Father  rode 
down  the  hill  after  Lord  Desborough  galloped  by  me, 
and  met  me  there,  waiting.  Oh,  I  was  so  glad  to 
know  you  were  alive  again !  We  felt  like  a  pair  of 
murderers,  did  n't  we.  Captain  Seymour?  Father  told 
me  you  were  here,  Kate,  and  then  we  waited  until 
now,  to  give  you  a  little  time,  and  then  I  could  n't 
stand  it  any  longer,  I  had  to  see  you.  Father 's 
coming  too,  but  I  ran  ahead." 

"  Why,  Philip,"  cried  Kate,  as  soon  as  he  gave  her 
an  opportunity,  kissing  him  again  and  laughing  light- 
heartedly  as  she  has  not  done  for  days,  "  how  you 
have  grown !     You  are  quite  a  man  now." 

"  It  is  entirely  due  to  Philip,  Katharine,  that  I  am 
here,"  said  Seymour.  "  He  commanded  the  little 
brig  which  ran  down  to  the  Yarmouth  at  the  risk  of 
destruction,  and  picked  me  up.  Disobeyed  orders 
too,  the  young  rogue.  He  brought  me  into  Charles- 
ton, nursed  me  like  a  woman,  and  then  brought  me 
here.     I  should  have  died  without  him." 

"  Oh,  Philip,"  said  the  delighted  girl,  kissing  the 
proud  and  happy  youngster  with  more  warmth  than 
he  had  ever  known  before,  "  promise  me  always  to 
disobey  your  orders.     How  can  I  thank  you  !  " 

"  Very  bad  advice  that.  Promise  nothing  of  the 
kind,  Philip  ;  but  what  are  you  thanking  him  for, 
Kate  ?  "  said  the  cheery  voice  of  the  colonel  as  he 
came  in  the  door. 

"  Thanking  him  for  Seymour,  father." 

**  Ah,  my  boy,"  said  the  colonel,  grasping  his  hand, 
"  you  don't  know  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you.  It  is 
like  one  returning  from  the  dead.     But  it  is  late  and 

35 1 


FOR  LOVE    OF   COUNTRY 

cold  and  quite  dark.  Supper  is  ready,  let  us  go  up  to 
the  Hall.  I  shall  see  the  Naval  Commissioners  in  a 
few  days,  Seymour,  and  get  you  another  and  a  better 
ship.  The  country  is  full  of  your  action ;  they  've 
struck  a  medal  for  you  and  voted  you  prize  money 
and  thanks,  and  all  that.  I  make  no  doubt  I  can 
get  you  the  best  ship  there  is  on  the  ways,  or  planned. 
'T  was  a  most  heroic  action  —  " 

"Not  now,  father,"  said  Katharine,  jealously,  throw- 
ing her  arm  about  her  lover.  "  He  shall  not,  cannot, 
go  now;  he  must  have  rest  for  a  long  time,  and  he 
must  have  me !  We  are  to  be  married  as  soon  as 
he  is  well,  and  the  country  must  wait.  Is  it  not  so, 
John?" 

"What's  that?"  said  the  colonel,  pretending  great 
surprise. 

"  Sir,"  answered  Seymour,  nervously, "  I  have  some- 
thing to  say  to  you,  —  something  I  must  say.  Will 
you  give  me  the  privilege  of  a  few  moments'  conver- 
sation with  you  ?  " 

"  Seymour,"  said  the  colonel,  smiling,  "  you  asked 
me  that  once  before,  did  you  not?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  believe  so." 

"  And  I  answered  you  —  how?  " 

"  Why,  you  said,  if  my  memory  serves  me,  that 
you  —  " 

"  Exactly,  that  I  would  see  you  after  supper,  and 
so  I  will.  Come,  children,  let  us  go  in;  this  time 
I  warrant  you  there  will  be  no  interruptions." 

The  father  and  son  turned  considerately  and  walked 
away,  leaving  the  two  lovers  to  follow. 

"You  won't  leave  me,  John,  will  you,  now  that  you 
have  just  come  back?  " 

35* 


INTO   THE  HAVEN   AT   LAST 

"  No,  Kate,  not  now ;  I  am  good  for  nothing  until 
I  get  strong." 

"Good  for  me,  though;  but  when  you  do  get 
strong?" 

"  Then,  if  my  country  needs  me,  dearest,  I  shall 
have  to  go.  But  I  fear  there  will  be  no  more  ships 
of  ours  to  get  to  sea,  the  blockade  is  getting  more 
strict  every  day.  I  can  be  a  soldier,  though.  No, 
Kate,  do  not  beg  me.  My  duty  to  my  country  con- 
strains me." 

"  Don't  talk  about  it  now,  then,  John.  At  least 
I  shall  have  you  for  a  long  time ;  it  will  be  long  before 
you  are  well  again." 

"  Yes,  I  fear  so,"  he  said  with  a  sigh. 

"Why  do  you  sigh,  dearest?  " 

"  Because  I  want  to  stay  with  you,  and  I  ought 
to  welcome  any  opportunity  to  enter  active  service. 
Think  what  old  Bentley  would  say." 

"  Old  Bentley  did  not  love  you,"  she  replied 
quickly,  with  a  jealous  pang. 

"  Ah,  did  he  not !  "  said  Seymour,  softly. 

There  was  a  long  pause. 

"  Well,"  said  Katharine  at  last,  "  I  suppose  nothing 
will  move  you  if  your  duty  calls  you,  but  I  warn  you 
if  you  get  killed  again,  I  shall  die.  I  could  not  stand 
it  another  time,"  she  cried  piteously. 

"Well,  dearest,  I  shall  try  to  live  for  you.  Now 
we  must  go  to  the  Hall." 

But,  to  anticipate,  fate  would  be  kinder  toward 
Katharine  in  the  future  than  she  had  been  in  the  past 
and  it  was  many  a  day  before  her  lover,  her  husband 
rather,  was  able  to  get  to  sea ;  and,  as  if  they  had 
suffered  enough,  he  went  through  the  rest  of  the  war 
23  353 


FOR   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

on  land  and  sea  scatheless,  and  was  one  of  those 
who  stood  beside  the  great  commander  before  the 
trenches  of  Yorktown,  when  the  British  soldiers  laid 
down  their  arms.  But  this  was  all  of  the  future,  and 
now  they  turned  quietly  and  somewhat  sadly  to  follow 
the  others. 

This  time  it  was  Katharine  who  helped  Seymour 
up  the  hill.  Slowly,  hand  in  hand,  they  walked  across 
the  lawn,  up  the  steps  of  the  porch,  and  toward  the 
door  of  the  Hall.  The  night  had  fallen,  and  the  house 
was  filled  with  a  soft  light  from  the  wax  candles. 
They  paused  a  moment  on  the  threshhold  ;  Katharine 
resolutely  mastered  her  fears  and  resolved  to  be 
happy  in  the  present,  then,  heedless  of  all  who 
might  see,  she  kissed  him. 

"  Home  at  last,  John,"  she  said,  beaming  upon  him. 

And  there,  with  the  dark  behind,  and  the  light 
before,  we  may  say  good-by  to  them. 


354 


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